Ieodo Ocean Research Station is an ocean platform constructed by

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...

and placed on the submerged

Socotra Rock Socotra Rock, also known as Ieodo () or Suyan Islet (), is a submerged rock below sea level (at low tide) located in the Yellow Sea. International maritime law stipulates that a submerged rock outside of a country's territorial sea (gene ...

in the East China Sea. The stated purpose of the platform is the collection of meteorological data, provision for

maritime safety Maritime safety as part of and overlapping with water safety is concerned with the protection of life (search and rescue) and property through regulation, management and technology development of all forms of waterborne transportation. The execut ...

, and fisheries monitoring. However, as South Korea and China both claim that Socotra Rock lies in their respective Exclusive Economic Zones, the platform does have strategic implications. The platform was officially opened in June 2003. The platform has a helipad a couple of lower decks for equipment and workspace. Although the station has residential facilities that can comfortably accommodate 8 people for 15 days, the station is typically uninhabited and operated remotely. While Socotra Rock rises to a maximum of 4.6m below sea level, the platform is founded on a portion of the rock that is substantially deeper at 40m below sea level. As a result, the platform is approximately 700m from the rock's "peak." The platform rises approximately 36m from sea level.

References

{{reflist Research stations