As the international society becomes more and more open, the international marine transportation demand is growing. And the growth of international tour demands and the developments of new passenger ship routes make the role of passenger terminals crucial. In this context this study analyzes and compares the terminals of Korea and Japan and defines design criteria for the construction of a passenger terminal. As a result of this study, it is proposed that an urban context, an architectural type and spatial characteristics be taken into account for the construction cf a passenger terminal. The ultimate purpose cf this study is to build a future-oriented international passenger terminal based on the result of this study, which will lead the ocean culture.