This study is aimed to analyze economical meaning and problems on the industrial differentiation of Korean laver industry. Based on the surveyed data, the export value of korean laver has increased over 28 times for last 20 years($10 million to $300 million) and the separation of farming and processing was an important success factor of rapid growth of korean laver industry. However, the result of the survey shows that the farming profit is 534.1 won out of the total price for a bunch of dried laver, 3,566.3 won. So, farming profit counts for just 15 percent of total price. In contrast, the processing profit is 1,143.5 won and it is 32.1 percent of total price. This means that laver farmers are not being guaranteed their profit properly. This phenomenon is occurred due to lower status of first-hand processors(which produce dried laver) to second-hand processors(which produce seasoned laver) due to advanced payment given by second-hand processors. So, fist-hand processors should provide their product in the price which was designated by second-hand processors. Besides, despite of many business risks caused from climate change and environmental pollution, the market price of raw laver has steadily decreased. For sustainable prosperity of korean laver industry, imbalance on korean laver industry concerning profit sharing is need to be changed. In future, self-processing of dried laver in fishery household and enhancing the role of The Fisheries Cooperative Union in laver industry can be considered.

This study classifies the types of spatio-functional differentiation in Korean island areas and analyses typical characters and suggests the development directions by each type. Eup/Myeon-level island areas are classified as six types by the factor analysis and the cluster analysis. First type is the traditional rural center. This type puts emphasis on maintaining phase as the central space and has to maximize development potential of the whole of settlement zone. Second type is the specialized region in manufacturing industry and the qualitative mutual growth of regional industries is able to be suggested. Third type is the specialized region in the neighborhood service provision. This type needs to devise the plan for utilizing potential customers actively and developing into the region specialized in tourism industry. Fourth type is the specialized region in tourism-support service functions. This type has to promote differentiated policies for maintaining amenity infra or value of countryside capital and preservation and utilization of resources by regional features. Fifth type is the fishing industry-dominated region. This type has to promote sustainable fishery development through the policy reflecting regional features and condition. Finally, sixth type is the sluggish region dominated with the traditional agriculture and fishery. This type is needed to aim at developing into the new food production base having the advantage of clean environment by strengthening support in specialized agro-fishery products. The existing researches on spatio-functional differentiation were mostly discussed with respect to land development, but this study highlights the difference in deal with the island areas distinguished from the condition of industry.