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KORDI at a glance

2010-05-26 >>
South Korea, surrounded by the water on its three sides, should make more of an effort to turn the ocean into its future repository of food and natural resources amid rapidly depleting land-based reserves, the nation's leading oceanographer said. In an interview with The Korea Times, Korea Ocean Research and Development Institute (KORDI) President Kang Jung-keuk said countries poor in resources, like Korea, must proactively explore the sea in order to continue sustainable development in the future, stressing Asia's fourth largest economy should spend more money to study the marine environment and develop state-of-the-art technologies to secure deep-sea minerals. Many say that the 21st century is an era of the sea' and I couldn't agree more. It has become inevitable for us to pay more attention to the ocean for survival in line with the rapid depletion of easily exploited resources and intensifying competition across the globe to secure food and energy on land. The ocean is our next frontier and our future depends on it,'' Kang said. He said the institute has been playing a key role in promoting the importance of the sea to Korea's future through a wide array of oceanographic research, ranging from studies of the nation's seas and open oceans, and investigations on preservation, control and restoration of marine environments, to the development of marine energy resources. KORDI is located in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, and operates three branch institutes across the country. It also maintains two overseas research facilities in the South Pacific and China. Its affiliate, the Korea Polar Research Institute, studies global environment changes and natural resource reserves in Antarctica and the Arctic. Our mission is to select and foster some of the most future-promising marine scientific technologies, and then turn them into the nation's new growth engines. Our research focus includes the monitoring of the marine environment and eco-system in coastal waters to effectively cope with unusual weather phenomena and possible pollution. We are also studying tidal currents to turn them into pollution-free and renewable energy sources,'' Kang said. The institute is also trying to find ways of collecting minerals on the sea floor. We secured a mineral exploration site in the Pacific Ocean in 2002, while obtaining exclusive rights to explore waters off the Kingdom of Tonga in the South Pacific in April 2008. We also successfully tested a deep-water mining robot, MineRo,'' in June last year,'' he said. The institute is currently developing an underwater unmanned submarine capable of operating in waters below 6,000 meters. With the ongoing global warming and a range of subsequent changes in the marine environment as a result, including the rising sea levels and unusual weather phenomena, KORDI has been stepping up its monitoring of sea levels, water temperature, salinity and other oceanic factors to better understand changes in the global environment and protect human lives and properties against tidal waves, typhoons and other natural disasters. .....................................................

2010-05-26 >>
[Korea to explore ocean for future natural resources] South Korea imports most of its energy needs from outside, leaving itself extremely vulnerable to sudden changes in the price of oil and other raw materials. Coupled with the rapid depletion of natural resources, surging demand from China, India and other fast-growing emerging economies raises the price of crude and other commodities sharply, weighing heavily on the Korean economy. To secure a stable supply of energy resources and achieve a sustainable growth, the nation should turn its eye to the sea and make larger investments to explore a range of minerals on the sea bottom, Korea Ocean Research and Development Institute (KORDI) President Kang Jung-keuk stressed. To cut our reliance on oil and other conventional fossil fuels produced on land, we should proactively explore manganese nodules and other marine natural resources. We secured 75,000 square kilometers of open sea in the Pacific Ocean under which some 510 million tons of manganese nodules are estimated to be buried. Additionally, we secured the right to explore 20,000 square kilometers of the open water near the Kingdom of Tonga in the South Pacific where around 300,000 tons of gold are likely buried,'' Kang said. To more effectively mine manganese nodules and other minerals at the sea bottom, the institute has developed an unmanned robot, named MineRo.'' We successfully tested it in the East Sea last year. It operated 100 meters below the sea level. In the near future, we will make it operational 5,000 meters below the surface,'' he said. The institute is undertaking several economic feasibility studies on the construction of electric power plants using tidal currents in the West Sea, while working on the state-of-the-art technologies to produce bio-ethanol from marine algae. Generating electricity from tidal currents and extracting fuel from marine plants are environmentally friendly and renewable energies, which will help Korea reduce its imports of conventional fossil fuels, boost economic activities and create jobs. We will also make effort to foster a marine biotechnology sector by studying microorganisms that inhabit the most extreme living environments under the sea. By examining them, we could obtain materials for new medicines and create a range of benefits for humans,'' Kang said. -By Lee Hyo-sik Staff reporter - From The Korea Times

2009-07-31 >>
Presentation on Computer Programme of Speed Trial Analysis Complying with the ISO 15016 Speed Trial Analysis Guidelines for EEDI Verification at IMO Dr. Eun-Chan Kim of Korea Ocean Research and Development Institute (KORDI) had presentation as the title of "Computer Programme of Speed Trial Analysis Complying with the ISO 15016 Speed Trial Analysis Guidelines for EEDI" at 59th MEPC (Marine Environment Protection Committee) of IMO in July 2009. The speed trial analysis programme shall be one of important technical issues to verification of the EEDI (Energy Efficiency Design Index) of Greenhouse Gas Convention which is developing now at IMO. The ISO 15016 Standard was selected as a verification method for the EEDI at 59th MEPC. This is: ISO 15016:2002 Ships and marine technology – Guidelines for the assessment of Speed and power performance by analysis of speed trial data The computer programme ST10 was developed by KORDI in compliance with the ISO 15016 and supplemented by few methods to consider all influences under the speed trial condition. The programme was developed to implement the graphic user interface in a WINDOWS environment. Also, various analysis methods for resistance increase due to ship motion, wave diffraction, wind, steering, drifting, water temperature and salt content, deviation of displacement, hull and propeller surface roughness, and shallow water effects are contained in the programme. This computer programme was published at the 8th International Symposium on Practical Design of Ships and Other Floating Structures (PRADS) in August 2001. The programme is presently in wide use by major shipyards in the Republic of Korea This speed trial analysis programme ST10 shall be considered as the standard programme at IMO because this programme is unique in the world at present. And this programme would be open to member states of IMO for the purpose of speed verification of the EEDI.

2009-04-23 >>
The KORDI Develops the World's First Black Oyster Breeding Quantity Measurement Technology A research team led by Dr. Kang Do-hyung at the Korea Ocean Research & Development Institute developed a method to quantitatively measure the breeding of black pearl oysters for the first time in the world and applied for domestic and international patent.

2009-02-02 >>
The KORDI held a symposium under the theme of "New Low-Carbon Green Growth Engine: East Sea-Dokdo" at the Donghae (East Sea) Center of the KORDI in Uljin, North Gyeongsang Province, on January 19-20, 2009. The symposium held under the auspices of the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs re-identified the importance of the East Sea and Dokdo as immense potential maritime resources and explored ways to sustainably develop them, heightening the hope that the national vision of "Low-Carbon Green Growth" will come true in the East Sea.

2008-12-11 >>
The Ocean Science Journal, an academic journal published by the KORDI, cooperates with Springer, a publisher, and starts joint international publication and overseas distribution from the 1st Issue of Volume 44 to be released in March 2009.

2008-11-24 >>
A hazardous aquatic life treatment facility co-produced by the KORDI and Techross Inc. won Korea's first international Type approval at the 58th MEPC (Marine Environment Protection Committee) conference of the International Maritime Organization held on October 8, 2008, in London, the U.K.

2008-10-17 >>
Dr. Cha Seon-shin and his research team at the KORDI identified the mechanism of the creation of DJ-1 protein sediments, a protein that represses the onset of Parkinson's disease.

2008-08-21 >>
The Korea Ocean Research & Development Institute holds a symposium on "Our land, Dokdo" The Korea Ocean Research & Development Institute held a symposium titled, "Our land Dokdo: Taking a look at historical and scientific factors," at the Lotte Hotel in Sogong-dong, Seoul, at 13:30 on Wednesday, August 13. Japan has been taking provocative actions, such as its recent declaration of Dokdo as Japanese territory in Japanese government issued teaching guidelines. Against this backdrop, the symposium was held to identify logical and effective countermeasures.

2008-06-26 >>
Korea, China, Japan, and Russia strengthen cooperation to fight against ocean pollution The 11th NOWPAP MERRAC Focal Points Meeting was held for four days from June 10 to 13 at the Marine Transportation and Safety Research Department of the Korea Ocean Research & Development Institute where the NOWPAP MERRAC (Center head: Kang Chang-gu) is set up. The meeting was held to establish a joint cooperative structure among four nations - Korea, China, Japan, Russia - against large ocean pollution accidents that occur in the Northwest Pacific Ocean, which surrounds Korea.

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