Trans-Pacific Studies in South Korea: Main Issues and Challenges

This study aims to analyze the trends in Trans-Pacific Studies within South Korea, critically assess the current state of research, and suggest future directions. To this end, the study analyzed 1,043 papers indexed in the KCI (Korea Citation Index) database focusing on Trans-Pacific Studies. The analysis revealed that most research has been conducted in the social sciences, particularly in fields such as political science, area studies, and law. This reflects the academic community’s interest in the political and economic importance of the Trans-Pacific region. However, these studies predominantly focus on political and economic relationships, while research on cultural and social dimensions remains relatively scarce. This gap highlights the need for more comprehensive research approaches that address the multi-layered civilizational exchanges and interactions in the Trans-Pacific region. Additionally, through keyword frequency and CONCOR analysis, the study identified the main topics and issues in Trans-Pacific Studies. Keywords such as “Pacific,” “strategy,” “Indo-Pacific,” and “agreement” appeared frequently, indicating the strategic importance of the Trans-Pacific region in international politics and economics. However, these studies still tend to focus on bilateral relations and fall short of adequately addressing the complex interactions within the region. From this perspective, it is essential to understand the Trans-Pacific region as a multi-layered crossroads of civilizations and to deepen research across various geographic and cultural scales. Furthermore, there is a need for a more in-depth analysis of mega-regions and regional integration processes within the Trans-Pacific region, which is crucial for understanding their impact on the global economy and politics.