Established in 2004, the Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI) is the lead agency for South Korea's national polar programme for the

Arctic The Arctic ( or ) is a polar regions of Earth, polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm (Greenla ...

and the

Antarctic The Antarctic ( or , American English also or ; commonly ) is a polar region around Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica, the Kerguelen Plateau and other ...

and an advisor to the

Government of South Korea The Government of South Korea is the union government of the Republic of Korea, created by the Constitution of South Korea as the executive, legislative and judicial authority of the republic. The president acts as the head of state and is th ...

. Its research projects have focused on

biodiversity Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (''genetic variability''), species (''species diversity''), and ecosystem (''ecosystem diversity'') l ...

climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...

and geological evolution. The Institute participates in fora such as the

Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources The Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, also known as the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, and CCAMLR, is part of the Antarctic Treaty System. The convention was opened for s ...

, the

Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP) is the international association, formed in 1988, which brings together the National Antarctic Programs. National Antarctic Programs are those organizations that have responsibility for ...

, the

International Arctic Science Committee The International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) is a non-governmental organization which is composed of international science groups participating in arctic science research. IASC is an International Scientific Associate of ICSU, and was establi ...

and the

Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) is an interdisciplinary body of the International Science Council (ISC). SCAR coordinates international scientific research efforts in Antarctica, including the Southern Ocean. SCAR's scien ...

(SCAR). KOPRI researchers and support staff operate on the icebreaker ''

Araon RV ''Araon'' is a large icebreaker operated by the Government of South Korea. The vessel was commissioned in 2009. She supplies the King Sejong Station, and the Jang Bogo Station, South Korea's second Antarctic research station. She underwent ...

'', on campus at the

Korea University of Science and Technology The University of Science and Technology (UST) is a group of public universities and research institutions in Seoul, Suwon, Changwon, Ansan, Seongnam and Daejeon, in South Korea. The UST was established in 2003 by the Ministry of Science, IC ...

and in the country's three research stations —

King Sejong Sejong of Joseon (15 May 1397 – 8 April 1450), personal name Yi Do (Korean: 이도; Hanja: 李祹), widely known as Sejong the Great (Korean: 세종대왕; Hanja: 世宗大王), was the fourth ruler of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. Initial ...

and

Jang Bogo Jang Bogo (787–841), childhood name: Gungbok, was a Sillan who rose to prominence in the Later Silla period of Korea as a powerful maritime figure who effectively controlled the Yellow Sea (West Sea), and dominated the trade between Silla, He ...

in Antarctica, and Dasan at

Ny-Ålesund Ny-Ålesund ("New Ålesund") is a small town in Oscar II Land on the island of Spitsbergen in Svalbard, Norway. It is situated on the Brøgger peninsula ( Brøggerhalvøya) and on the shore of the bay of Kongsfjorden. The company town is owned and ...

, Svalbard. KOPRI sits within South Korea's

Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF, ko, 대한민국 해양수산부), is a cabinet-level division of the government of South Korea. It takes overall responsibilities for maritime and fisheries sectors in general, ranging from the promoti ...

. Through international collaboration, KOPRI researches have undertaken studies in Alaska and Canada.

External links

Official website of the Korea Polar Research Institute

References

Earth science research institutes Arctic research Antarctic research Research institutes established in 2004 {{sci-org-stub