Republic of Korea-Peru joint marine science research center established in Peru

To serve as a bridge-head for cooperation with other Central and South American countries

□ The Republic of Korea Institute of Ocean & Technology (KIOST) and the Instituto del Mar del Peru (IMARPE) have opened a joint marine research center in Peru, which is expected to promote Korean research on the seas of Central and South America.

□ The opening ceremony for the new research center was held in Peru on Nov. 26 (Nov. 27 Korean time). The center will serve as a bridge-head for future cooperation in the marine science field with Chile, Mexico and other Central and South American countries.

○ The Central and South American region is rich in marine resources including minerals and marine life. Cooperation with countries in the region will help Republic of Korea secure marine resources in the future. 

○ The seas off the coasts of Central and South America also future unique environmental phenomena such as El Nino. Research in these areas will contribute to discovering the causes of and solutions to global climate and marine problems.

□ The opening ceremony was attended by dignitaries from both Republic of Korea and Peru. They included Kang Jung-keuk, president of KIOST; Joo Sung-ho, vice minister of land, transport and marine affairs of Republic of Korea; Gladys Triveno Chan Jan, minister of production of Peru; and German Vasquez Solis, president of IMARPE. Dr. Seok Bong-chul of KIOST was named the first Korean-side director of the joint marine research center.

○The Ministry of Land, Transport and Marine Affairs of Republic of Korea has implemented a variety of projects to expand cooperative relations with countries in Central and South America since it signed the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on cooperation in marine science with Peru in 2008. Among the projects were a workshop on Korean and Central and South American marine science and technology and an educational training program for Central and South American scientists.

○ As a result, during the Republic of Korea-Peru summit talks held in Seoul in May, leaders of the two countries selected marine science as a priority area of bilateral cooperation. The two countries signed another MOU on the establishment and operation of the Republic of Korea-Peru marine science and technology joint research center in July.

□ The joint research center will be located inside IMARPE and will initially develop plans for joint research with Central and South American countries.

○ After the joint research plans have been established, KIOST will embark on full-scale research into various topics, including marine species diversity,in cooperation with research institutes in Central and South American countries.

□ Joo Sung-ho, vice minister of land, transport and marine affairs, said the Republic of Korea-Peru joint marine research center will enable Republic of Korea to conduct and participate in the exploration and research of marine resources in the Central and South American region. Through he added these activities contribute valuable research on the effects of climate change on the marine ecological system.