This paper aims at comparing similarities and differences between Korea and China, clarifying the evolution threads, summing up the experience and lessons of the legislation and enforcement of marine environmental protection carried out by two countries and analyzing the concept of advanced marine environmental protection and effective methods that can be referred with each other. On these bases, suggestions on improvement of marine environmental protection in Yellow Sea are put forward, which can be referred for expanded cooperation in marine environmental protection of both countries. Yellow sea belongs to the national maritime jurisdiction of South and North Korea and China. Its self‐cleaning capacity is considered to be quite poor given that it is a semi‐enclosed sea with shallow waters. Hence, each country has to be responsible for its own marine area on one hand, and has to be responsive to establish more effective joint pollution control mechanism as soon as possible. Since the three Northeast Asian countries are under different economical, social, and cultural conditions, big differences exist among them in environmental protection investment, law legislation as well as in law enforcement. To gain better effect in controlling Yellow Sea pollution in the near future, the countries should improve more effective cooperative system and management level of environmental protection. The Law of the Sea Convention introduced wide range of regulations regarding marine environmental protection in Part 12 "Protection and Preservation of the Marine Environment". Especially, article 197 of the Convention stipulates that states shall cooperate on a global basis and, as appropriate, on a regional basis, directly or through competent international organizations, in formulating and elaborating international rules for the protection and preservation of the marine environment, taking into account characteristic regional features. Given the features surrounding Yellow Sea, integrated management regarding marine environment through regional cooperation is needed. Among the cases of regional cooperation projects for Yellow Sea environmental preservation, Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem Project (YSLME) and Northwest Pacific Action Plan (NOWPAP) as well as Korea-China Joint Research on Marine Environment of Yellow Sea were examined. However, there are problems to be solved for more effective agreements and more fruitful results. The problems are drawbacks within cooperative system, difference in economic level, and difference in enforcement means. For more effective cooperation in marine environment protection, Korea and China should strive to improve ocean governance and government system, modify legislative and enforcement system, intensify multilateral and bilateral cooperation among coastal states, and build more efficient system for conflict management and dispute settlement.

황해는 그 전체가 남북한과 중국의 해양관할권에 속하는 바다로서 연안국간 해양경계획정 문제가 남아 있다. 그렇지만 평균 수심 44미터의 천해로서 세계 굴지의 산업국가로 등장한 한국과 중국 그리고 북한으로 둘러싸인 반폐쇄해인 황해는 세계에서도 가장 환경오염에 취약한 바다로 꼽히고 있다. 이처럼 황해는 환경오염에 매우 취약한 특징을 가지므로, 연안국들은 가능한 조속한 시일내에 보다 효율적인 해양환경보호를 위한 다자간 또는 양자간 협력체제를 구축하여야 하는데, 항해 연안국들은 그 상이한 경제적･사회적･문화적 전통과 제도로 인하여 통합적이고 효율적인 환경보호를 위한 법과제도를 만들고 이행하는데 약점을 보이고 있다. 유엔해양법협약은 제12부에 해양환경보호에 관해 매우 방대한 규정들을 두었다. 특히 제197조는 당사국들에게 해양환경보호를 위한 전세계적인 또는 지역적인 차원에서의 협력을 요구하고 있는바, 이는 전세계적인 문제인 동시에 지역적인 문제인 해양오염의 특성을 감안한 것으로 판단된다. 황해해양환경보호를 위한 지역협력 사례로는 황해광역생태계사업(YSLME)과 북서태평양행동계획(NOWPAP)이 있으며, 한국과 중국은 별도로 황해해양환경공동연구를 수행하기도 하였다. 그러나 이를 수행하는 과정에서 협력체제의 미비, 경제적 수준의 차이와 집행수단의 차이 등 많은 문제점들이 드러났다. 본 연구에서는 보다 효율적인 해양환경보호를 위해, 한국과 중국이 양자적 또는 다자적 차원에서 협력체제를 만들고자 할 때 고려할 사항들을 검토하였다. 그것은 해양거버넌스증진과 정부조직의 정비, 법제도와 집행제도 수립, 양자간 다자간 협력강화, 효율적인 갈등조정과 분쟁해결 제도의 도입이다.