□ On November 14, the Republic of Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST), with Jung Keuk Kang as president, held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Jeju International Marine Science Research and Support Center (hereinafter referred to as the Jeju Center) at the construction site in Jeju City.

   ○ The Jeju Center will be located in Haeng-won-ri, Gujwa-up, Jeju City in Jeju Special Self-Governing Province. The center will be built on an area of 5,000 pyeong (1 pyeong is about 3.3 m2), and a total of KRW 19.7 billion has been set aside for the construction, which is planned to be completed by April, 2015.

   ○ The Jeju Center will house state-of-the-art equipment and facilities for the research of marine biology and changes in marine environments, as well as education facilities that will offer education and training on local and overseas maritime environments.

□ The Jeju Center is expected to become a leading research institution in the Jeju region, making use of the geographic and maritime characteristics of Jeju Island.

○ Jeju Island is a rich repository of marine bio-diversity, occupying 25% of Republic of Korea’s ocean space and serving as a habitat for 51% of the nation’s marine life. The island is located at the forefront of the Korean Peninsula where climate and environmental changes on the peninsula can be predicted in advance.

○ Making use of the characteristics of Jeju Island, the center will develop useful new materials in the field of marine biology and will conduct research on climate change and marine environmental changes with the goal of developing the capability to detect climate change on the Korean Peninsula.

□ Befitting the status of Jeju Island as a free international city, the Jeju Center will offer top-tier global education and training programs in the field of environmental marine science.

○ The Jeju Center will expand the education and training programs for environmental marine science currently being offered at KIOST’s South Sea Research Institute in order to provide more diverse marine science education programs and boost international joint research.

□ In his speech at the groundbreaking ceremony, President Jung Keuk Kang said, “The Jeju Center will build a network of domestic and international marine research, paving the way to expand joint research and development among local and overseas scientists and researchers.”

○ President Kang also said, “The Jeju Center will strive to become a specialized research hub that will not only nurture Republic of Korea’s future strategic industries and support the nation’s global agenda but also contribute to the local community of Jeju.”

□ KIOST has been operating research centers in four different regions of Republic of Korea with its headquarters in Ansan, Gyeonggi province; the Maritime & Ocean Engineering Research Institute in the Daedeok Special Research and Development Zone; the South Sea Research Institute in Geoje, South Gyeongsang province; and the East Sea Research Institute in Uljin, North Gyeongsang province.