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Why do the southern and southeastern Sea of Okhotsk have a milder climate?

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Vertical physical map showing the seas of Japan and Okhotsk, highlighting underwater basins, trenches, and ridges, as well as the coastlines and boundaries of Russia, China, North Korea, South Korea, and Japan. Major cities, islands, and peninsulas such as Vladivostok, Tokyo, Hokkaido, Sakhalin, Kamchatka Peninsula, and the Kuril Islands are labeled. Water depths are indicated with color shading, and an inset locator map shows the region's position in East Asia.
Sea of Okhotsk

The southern and southeastern regions of the Sea of Okhotsk experience a milder marine climate primarily due to their proximity to the Pacific Ocean.1

This relative warmth is further supported by the movement of water into the sea. Warm water is carried into the region by Pacific ocean currents, which contribute to the eastern half of the sea being warmer than the western half. Additionally, water flows into the Sea of Okhotsk from the Sea of Japan through the La Perouse (Sōya) Strait, which accounts for the comparative warmth of the sea's southwestern area.12