In May 2013, Korea gained the status as an observer to the Arctic Council at the Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Kiruna, Sweden, which opened new doors to participating in the discussion and joint response to the arctic issues in the Arctic Council. Therefore, it is expected to strengthen future cooperation with member countries in research and economic development in the Arctic. This study reviews the current status and future changes of the Arctic Council and the coastal states' arctic policy, and elicits policy implications for multilateral and bilateral cooperation in this region.
The major issues that the Arctic Council is dealing with are divided into four categories: Environment and Climate, Biodiversity, Oceans, and Arctic Peoples. The Arctic Council has been delivering collaborative responses to these issues mainly based on six working groups. Recent trends focus on ensuring the presence and participation of indigenous peoples in the Arctic.
In addition, building bilateral cooperation with coastal states of the Arctic Ocean should also be taken into consideration. Five arctic coastal countries (USA, Canada, Russia, Norway, Denmark) emphasize the following: national security and sovereignty, environmental protection and climate change, indigenous protection, collective response to the issues and intensification of cooperation, enhancing economic benefits through energy development and promoting sustainable development, bolstering the foundations for research, emphasis on cooperation among five Arctic coastal states and strengthening their status in the Arctic Council in accordance with their arctic policy.
Governance in the Arctic council is facing changes due to a change in the chair state and reinforcement of economic development in the region. Thus, it is required to understand the task forces’ issues that reflect what the Arctic Council is currently focusing on. Arctic council initiated individual task forces for Circumpolar Business Forum, Arctic Marine Oil Pollution Prevention, Action on Black Carbon and Methane, and Enhancing Scientific Cooperation in the Arctic, and establishes policies and regulations.
Cooperation channels in the Arctic region can be summarized in two: multilateral and bilateral cooperation. It is essential for Korea to contribute on a multilateral level by participating in projects and working groups of the Arctic Council. Given the fact that the observer status in the Arctic Council is renewed, depending on the evaluation that takes place every four years, Korea is due to update its status in 2017. Therefore, more concrete and practical cooperation and contribution are required. The bilateral cooperation will also make it easier when these multilateral cooperation is given support. On the other hand, it is also required to study the legal system and mechanisms of the Arctic Council as a soft-law regime, which is expected to serve as an example upon which to build and participate in similar multilateral cooperation activities in the future.

국문요약

제1장 서론 
1. 연구의 배경 
2. 선행연구 분석 
3. 연구의 방법 및 구성 

제2장 북극이사회 현황과 주요 기구 
1. 북극이사회 설립 연혁 
2. 북극이사회 주요 현안과 상설 작업반 
가. 주요 현안 분류
나. 6개 상설 작업반(워킹그룹) 및 활동 현황
3. 북극이사회 또 하나의 중심축 ‘원주민 그룹’
4. 기타 북극 관련 정부간 포럼
가. 바렌츠유로북극이사회(BEAC)
나. 발틱해 국가 이사회(CBSS)
다. 북유럽 각료회의(NCM)
라. 바르샤바 포맷회의(WFM: Warsaw Format Meeting)
5. 소결

제3장 북극해 연안국의 북극정책
1. 미국
가. 북극 지역에 대한 국가전략
나. 북극 지역에 대한 국가전략 실행계획
2. 캐나다
3. 노르웨이
4. 덴마크
5. 러시아
가. ‘2020년 및 그 이후 기간 러시아 연방의 북극 지역에서의 국가정책원칙’
나. ‘2020년까지 러시아연방 북극지대 발전 및 국가안보전략’
6. 소결

제4장 북극이사회의 변화와 향후 전망
1. 태스크포스팀 과제 및 의장국 발의 과제
가. 북극이사회 현안 대응 태스크포스팀
나. 의장국 발의 과제
2. 북극이사회 옵서버 관련 규정 및 이슈
3. 북극이사회 경제개발 이슈 강화
4. 소결
                                                       
제5장 시사점 및 결론
1. 정책적 시사점
가. 북극이사회 참여를 통한 다자 협력참여
나. 연안국의 관심사 파악을 통한 양자협력
다. 북극이사회 메커니즘 연구
2. 연구의 한계와 향후 연구 방향

참고문헌 

Executive Summary