Abstract. Like most of the world's coastlines, the Korean Peninsula
experienced higher-than-present sea levels during the last interglacial
(LIG), otherwise known as Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5e. However, the
expression of that highstand in the geological record differs across the
eastern and western Korean Peninsula. The tectonically active east coast of
the Korean Peninsula is characterized by broad uplifted marine terraces,
while the stable west coast is characterized by tidal flats and rias. In
this study, we used a standardized database template to review and extract
the existing constraints on LIG sea levels along both the east and west
coasts of the Korean Peninsula. A total of 62 LIG constraining data points
were compiled including 34 sea-level indicators, 22 marine limiting records,
and 6 terrestrial limiting records. The ages from these data points are
based on 61 optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) measurements and 1
paleomagnetic-based age. Along the uplifted east coast, LIG sea-level
indicators based on marine terraces are at elevations ranging from +9 to
+32 m. The uplifted marine terraces are cut or otherwise deformed by
faults developed under a compressional regime due to back-arc closing of the
East Sea since the early Pliocene. As a result, tectonic uplift likely has
affected the elevations of the east coast LIG shorelines. In contrast, LIG
sea-level records on the west coast of the Korean Peninsula are found at
heights of between +3 and +6 m and include marine and terrestrial
elevation limiting records as well as true sea-level indicators. The LIG
sea-level constraints along the west coast of the Korean Peninsula are
likely unaffected by vertical movement or experienced minor subsidence
during the Quaternary. The database is available open access at
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4974826 (Ryang and Simms, 2021).