so as to be flexible toward China. Some kind of agreement about the maritime border reportedly exists between North Korea and China, but it is unclear if this pertains to the EEZ or the continental shelf boundary. Which of the islands in the Yellow Sea belong to North and which to South Korea will also affect the boundaries of the EEZs of the three countries there. Even if the issue with the islands were to be resolved, the North and South Korean EEZs would overlap, necessitating either one party to reduce its claim or the two to share some of the EEZ. According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the EEZs in both the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan should be divided so as to leave no international waters between them, because the sea areas are less than 400 nautical miles in breadth. The Yellow Sea NLL would probably not legal as a permanent boundary of territorial waters because it violates the non-encroachment principle of the convention by cutting of North Korea from the open seas. This also has implications for the EEZ. North Korea has signed the convention but not ratified it. Sea of Japan The EEZ in the Sea of Japan is trapezoidal-shaped. The area is not a source of great confrontation between North and South Korea because South Korean vessels avoid it. It is also not thought to be rich in natural resources. The border between North Korea's EEZ with that of Russia is the only determined border of its EEZs, and indeed the only fully determined border of EEZs in all of Northeast Asia. It was determined in 1986. The problem with it is however that its terminus is not equidistant with South Korean or Japanese territory. North Korea is geographically disadvantaged when it comes to the determination of EEZs, especially in the Sea of Japan where it is sandwiched between Russia and South Korea. This fact might contribute to North Korea's reluctance to commit fully to the EEZ regime and negotiate EEZ boundaries with its neighbors. Economy North Korea conducts fishing in its EEZ, mainly for the industrial sector. Some fishing for the artisanal sector takes place, too. Subsistence fishing has declined considerably over the years. A 2000 agreement between non-governmental fishing organizations of North and South Korea allowed South Koreans to fish inside the North Korean EEZ