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Politically, the border between nations confines the scope of the influence of power and sovereignty. Economically, it is a barrier to the flow of exchange of people and goods. In this sense, the border signifies separation and severance. At the same time, however, it is also a starting point for contacting and connecting with others.

Accordingly, the border area which includes two or more administrative spheres where different countries exercise their legal/institutional authority is perceived as a remote backwater too far away for the central government's policy to have effect or as a place of the clash of interests between countries. On the other hand, however, if emphasis is placed on contact and exchange characteristics of the border, the border area can be transformed into a space where new revolution and growth occur.

With advances in transportation and communications that are making the world global, the border is increasingly seen as a place of contact rather than as a barrier. Against this backdrop, a number of border regions around the world are transforming themselves from marginal areas into new strongholds for growth through various forms of cooperation beyond the borders that take their own interests and demands into consideration.

Borders and Frontiers Redefined as Places of Cooperation

Peace in East Asia and Cooperation Beyond the Borders is a major result of the Northeast Asian History Foundation's research project undertaken to explore the potential of the frontier contributing to peace and prosperity. Since 2009, the Northeast Asian History Foundation has annually hosted the conference on peace in East Asia and cooperation beyond the borders, together with Korean, Chinese, and Japanese researchers, in its continued efforts to collect the thoughts of intellectuals from the Northeast Asian countries to achieve theoretical advances in related research and explore policy examples.

Now that the significances and functions of borders and frontiers have come under a new spotlight, this book reflects the objectives and direction of the research project aimed at designing and establishing the areas bordering the Korean Peninsula, China, and Russia as spaces of coexistence and cooperation beyond the borders, with strategic viewpoints and fresh ideas.

The book includes discussions on: "Peace in East Asia and the Unification of the Korean Peninsula, and Cooperation in the North Korea-China Frontiers," "Beyond the Westfalen System Toward the East Asian Community," "International Cooperation in the Frontier Area and the Strategic Value of the Marginal Cultural District," and "The Evolution of the Chinese Frontier Theory and the Development of the Concept of the Frontier for Common Interests." Based on the historical context and institutions of Northeast Asia, these discussions provide an overview of the significance of cooperation beyond the borders and changes in theories about the frontier. Professor Wada Haruki examines how cooperation beyond the borders relates to the discussion of the Northeast Asian Community and the roles of the peoples who crossed the borders. If we remember that the major cases of cooperation beyond the borders and the related logics are based largely on the Western experience and context, e.g. the integration of Europe, we could see that such discussion could contribute enormously to the theory of cooperation beyond the borders in Northeast Asia. In particular, this research, which uses specific European examples in exploring the possibility of regional cooperation in East Asia, provides an important comparative framework that identifies requirements for cooperation beyond the borders in East Asia.

In Search of Specific Policies for Cooperation Beyond the Borders

What makes this book stand out even more is that it pays special attention to suggesting specific policies based on the actual examples of cooperation beyond the borders that occurred in Northeast Asia. The frontier cooperation taking place between North Korea and China, unlike the previous example of the North Korean special economic zone, is on the basis of the strategic understanding of both countries. A thorough review of developments in the strategies of the two countries can tell us whether or not the frontier cooperation between North Korea and China will succeed. In this respect, Professor Lee Dong-ryul's research, which examines the status and challenge of China's cooperation beyond the borders through a review of the examples of frontier cooperation taking place in Northwest, Southwest, and Northeast China, provides a framework that allows us to identify the strategic interests of a China striving for frontier development as part of cooperation across the borders.

The North Korea-China border area is a strategic location connecting the Korean Peninsula to the continent. It will provide a number of countries with more opportunities for cooperation in economic sectors, large-scale SOC investment, such as railways, roads, and airports, urban construction, and environment protection. In the process, we can expect to see the birth of new strongholds for growth that will invigorate the global economy struggling to get out of the slump. The paper that reviews the roles of the frontier area as the economic/logistic network hub of Northeast Asia and explores their significance through a historical study, and the research by Ibaojung that deals with China's plan for the cooperative development for the Duman River region and the roles of the ethnic Korean people in China provide important materials for the spatial understanding and utilization of the North Korea-China border cooperation zone.

The North Korea-China border cooperation is likely to gradually widen and deepen North Korea's opening to the outside world. It can be expected that the joint development of the border region will further deepen the bilateral economic cooperation. If transportation and logistics networks connecting North Korea to the three Northeast Provinces of China and to Russia and the joint resource development and utilization of the connected regions become a reality, it will bring about positive changes in the economic activities and industrial production of the North Korean cities in the frontier region. This could be also a chance for North Korea to increase exchanges with the international community as well as the neighboring countries, such as South Korea, Japan, and Russia. The essay that proposes green growth as an agenda for cooperation beyond the borders between North Korea and China, the research that suggests a field trip that allows Korean and Chinese youths to share their experience in friendly cooperation between the two countries, and the discussion of the Duman River development plan and the project of building a gas pipeline connecting South Korea to North Korea and Russia, deal with the already tangible projects of cooperation beyond the borders in East Asia and their strategies, enabling more specific and practical policy discussions.

As we have seen so far, the academic/policy significance of this book, a result of the research program that deals with cooperation beyond the boarders in the frontiers, an feasible approach to accomplishing peace in East Asia, is profound. I hope that the NAHF will continue to play roles in achieving cooperation beyond the borders and peace in East Asia and accumulate the results of related research.