The Korea Strait connects the Sea of Japan with the East China Sea between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. It is a major maritime route in northeastern Asia.
The strait is generally divided into a western channel and the Tsushima Strait, which passes between the Japanese islands of Kyushu and Tsushima. The Korea Strait is therefore a broader regional waterway, while Tsushima Strait is one of its principal channels.
Warm water from the Kuroshio Current system flows through the area, influencing regional marine conditions. The passage has also been important for trade, fishing and naval movement between Korea and Japan.
A common mix-up is treating Korea Strait and Tsushima Strait as entirely separate neighboring passages. In many geographic descriptions, Tsushima Strait is the eastern part or channel of the wider Korea Strait.