인터넷(internet)의 발달은 기업간의 e-비즈니스 활동을 가속화하여 국가 또는 지역간의 경제통합에 기여하고 있다. e-비즈니스는 국내외 시장의 무한경쟁을 그 근본적인 패러다임으로 활용됨으로써 정보의 공유와 통합에 따른 다양한 기업 활동의 시간적, 공간적 확산과 심화를 가져왔다. 특히 글로벌 e-비즈니스의 개방과 통합이라는 패러다임하에 급속히 확산되어 온 경제통합에서 특히 중요한 것은 국가내의 특정지방과 주변국들이 통합하는 국지경제권(subregional economic zone)통합이다. 한국의 서해안지역과 중국의 환황․발해지역은 황해를 마주하고 있는 지리적 특성과 인접성 그리고 역사적․문화적 동질성으로 자연발생적인 환황해지역경제권을 형성하고 있다. 환황해권의 지역적범위는 엄격하게 제한할 수는 없지만 대체로 황해와 발해를 중심으로 그 주변에 위치하고 있는 지역으로 동 지역경제통합의 중요성은 그 협업적 생산기반에 있다. 한국이 중국에 수출하는 주요품목은 완제품이 아니라 부품중심으로 이뤄지고 있으며, 그 이유는 중국에 진출한 한국기업이 한국에서 부품을 조달하기 때문이다. 이러한 시각에서 서해안지역은 기능과 역할을 재정립할 필요성이 높아지고 있으며 군산을 중심으로 특히 최근 개발하고 있는 새만금 지역을 환황해지역경제권 시대의 국제물류거점으로 개발과 활용이 요청된다.

Global e-business has affected on the economic environment as well as the regional collaboration structure of the North-east Asian countries. Especially, the networking economies under the e-business paradigm strengthened the collaborative development of the Yellow Sea regional economic Bloc. Strengthened economic interdependence within the region is expected to promote regional prosperity and stability. The Yellow Sea Sub Region has numerous large urban agglomerations with strong industrial production capacity. Indeed, the Yellow Sea Sub Region has a strong potential to become the world's core manufacturing zone in the industries of electronics, car, and machinery. With the possible support of efficient e-business technologies and logistics networks, the vision can be materialized. Recently, there has been significant growth of cross-border inter-city and inter-provincial sisterhood relations and multilateral assembling of cities and provinces in and around the Yellow Sea Sub Region. Also observed was a fast growth of transportation links between cities in the Yellow Sea Sub Region. Although it is ideal to form an economic zone including all the cities and provinces within the Yellow Sea Sub Region, we strongly believe that city-regions are the growth engines of the new global economic order. Forming inter-city networks among the Yellow Sea Sub Region would provide a foundation to build a full-blown model of cross-border inter-local cooperation.

Global e-business has affected on the economic environment as well as the regional collaboration structure of the North-east Asian countries. Especially, the networking economies under the e-business paradigm strengthened the collaborative development of the Yellow Sea regional economic Bloc. Strengthened economic interdependence within the region is expected to promote regional prosperity and stability. The Yellow Sea Sub Region has numerous large urban agglomerations with strong industrial production capacity. Indeed, the Yellow Sea Sub Region has a strong potential to become the world's core manufacturing zone in the industries of electronics, car, and machinery. With the possible support of efficient e-business technologies and logistics networks, the vision can be materialized. Recently, there has been significant growth of cross-border inter-city and inter-provincial sisterhood relations and multilateral assembling of cities and provinces in and around the Yellow Sea Sub Region. Also observed was a fast growth of transportation links between cities in the Yellow Sea Sub Region. Although it is ideal to form an economic zone including all the cities and provinces within the Yellow Sea Sub Region, we strongly believe that city-regions are the growth engines of the new global economic order. Forming inter-city networks among the Yellow Sea Sub Region would provide a foundation to build a full-blown model of cross-border inter-local cooperation.

The Yellow Sea Regional economic Bloc, Economic integration, Subregional economic zone