Dr. Park Heung-Sik named KIOST Person of the Year

The Republic of Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (President: Kang Jung Keuk) announced the designation of Director Dr. Park Heung-Sik of the Pacific Ocean Research Center as the “KIOST Person of the Year” for 2013.

Since 2006, Dr. Park has been in charge of the Pacific Ocean Research Center located in Chuuk, Micronesia. By maintaining close cooperative relations with the Chuuk local government and friendly relations with locals, Dr. Park has achieved recognition for his contributions and efforts in operating and stabilizing an overseas research base.

In particular, by finalizing a long-term lease contract allowing the Pacific Ocean Research Center to use the lot for the next 90 years, Dr. Park played a central role in broadening the scope of Korean maritime science research and contributing to closer relations with Pacific island nations through ocean science technology. Within Micronesia, he is also recognized for even playing the role of civilian diplomat.

Also, by establishing on Chuuk the Chuuk Satellite Control Center (July 2013) and the Pacific Region GPS Permanent Base Station (October 2011) jointly with the Republic of Korea Aerospace Research Institute and the Republic of Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, KIOST has also invested significant effort into establishing a convergence-comprehensive research basis connecting ocean science and the aviation/astronomical science areas.

Dr. Park has also demonstrated outstanding capacity in terms of research results, his research having being selected to reside among the top 100 outstanding cases of national R&D in 2008 for his black pearl cultivation technology. He is known as a top-level expert on the coral reef marine environment through such examples as his activities as national liaison official for international coral organizations.

Dr. Park stated, “It is an honor to receive such an honor over the many far more qualified individuals at KIOST. I will think of this as motivation to work harder at the task assigned to me.” He added, “The Pacific is a space of the future for us. I will prepare even more and work even harder to prepare a way of life for future generations through marine science.”

The Federated States of Micronesia, where the KIOST Pacific Ocean Research Center is located, has the highest diversity of marine life in the world. The coral reef area surrounding the Federated States is being preserved as a marine life resource that has virtually infinite potential for development, with natural life forms that do not exist in Korean seas.

With many science and technology experts, and experts in pure technology from not only KIOST but the Republic of Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, the Republic of Korea Aerospace Research Institute, and Republic of Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology engaged in research, Micronesia is becoming noted as a first-rate convergence/comprehensive research area.