The Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST) is a private
oceanography
Oceanography (), also known as oceanology, sea science, ocean science, and marine science, is the scientific study of the ocean, including its physics, chemistry, biology, and geology.
It is an Earth science, which covers a wide range of to ...
research organization based in
Busan
Busan (), officially Busan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's second list of cities in South Korea by population, most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.3 million as of 2024. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economi ...
. Formerly known as the Korean Ocean Research and Development Institute (KORDI), it started functioning under the name of the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology from July 1, 2012, onwards.
History
KIOST was founded on October 30, 1973, under the name Korean Ocean Research and Development Institute (KORDI). It was originally under the
Korea Institute of Science and Technology
The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST; ) is a multi-disciplinary research institute located in Seoul, South Korea. Founded in 1966, it was the first multi-disciplinary scientific research institute in Korea and has contributed si ...
(KIST).
On July 1, 2012, the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology was officially established.
In 2014, the KIOST unveiled a six-legged robot that can walk the ocean floor. The robot is 2.4 x 2.4 x 1.3 meters in dimension. It weighs 650 kilos and contains 30 motors. In January 2017, after North Korea led nuclear tests at the
Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site
Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site () was the only known nuclear test site of North Korea. Nuclear tests were conducted at the site in October 2006, May 2009, February 2013, January 2016, September 2016, and September 2017.
Geography
The s ...
, the KIOST published a study showing how radioactive materials from those tests probably traveled to the tip of Russia and Northern Japan. In July 2017, the KIOST partnered with the US
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA ) is an American scientific and regulatory agency charged with Weather forecasting, forecasting weather, monitoring oceanic and atmospheric conditions, Hydrography, charting the seas, ...
to further the research of the Moored Array for African-Asian-Australian Monsoon Analysis and Prediction. In July 2018, when a South Korean company claimed to have found the wreck of a Russian warship (the ''
Dmitrii Donskoi'') that allegedly contained more than $130 billion in gold, the KIOST told the media it had known about the ship's location since 2003.
Mission
The main functions of KIOST are:
# To perform basic and applied research to promote the efficient use of coastal and ocean resources
# To undertake comprehensive surveys and studies of Korea's seas and open oceans
# To conduct scientific research in polar and tropical regions, especially in Antarctica and South Pacific
# To develop technologies related to coastal, harbor, ship and ocean engineering as well as maritime safety.
# To support and cooperate with other governmental agencies, universities and private companies towards the development of marine resources and the protection of the oceanic environment.
# To coordinate and participate in international oceanographic research projects.
The KIOST also undertakes fundamental research in
Antarctica
Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. ...
. The main areas of interests are geological, geophysical and life sciencedalong with climate science. The institute owns the
RV Onnuri
RV ''Onnuri'' is one of the Korean Ocean Research and Development Institute (KORDI)'s research vessels. She was built in Bergen, Norway in 1991 by Mjellem & Karlsen Verft AS and designed by Skipsteknisk AS. She has been used to supply Korea's Ant ...
, which is used to supply the year-round Antarctic station called the
King Sejong Station
The King Sejong Station () is a research station for the Korea Antarctic Research Program that is named after King Sejong the Great of Joseon (1397–1450).
Established on February 17, 1988, it consists of 11 facility buildings and two obser ...
(62.13'S; 58°45'W).
Partnerships
KIOST has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) and bilateral agreements with national research institutes in
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
,
Micronesia
Micronesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, consisting of approximately 2,000 small islands in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. It has a close shared cultural history with three other island regions: Maritime Southeast Asia to the west, Poly ...
,
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
,
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
and
Peru
Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
. Tertiary educational partners include the
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU; ) is a public university, public research university in Norway and the largest in terms of enrollment. The university's headquarters is located in Trondheim (city), Trondheim, with region ...
,
Rutgers University
Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's C ...
and the
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) is one of the largest marine research and education centers in the United States. Founded in 1940, VIMS is unique among marine science institutions in its legal mandate to provide research, educatio ...
at the
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his The Lawn, Academical Village, a World H ...
in the United States. Partner organizations include
Partnership for Observation of the Global Oceans and
.
References
External links
Official Website
{{authority control
Research institutes in South Korea
South Korea and the Antarctic
Oceanographic organizations
Antarctic research
1973 establishments in South Korea