Korea Hydrographic and Oceanographic Agency (KHOA; Director General Hong, Lae Hyung) announced that Mr. Baek, Yong, an assistant director of the agency, beat his rivals from ocean-leading countries to be an Assistant Director Digital Technology (ADDT) of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO).

Since Sep. 2003, Mr. Baek has polished his career as a developer of the standards for marine spatial planning for the next generation (S-100). He will fulfill his ADDT’s duty in Monaco, where the IHO is headquartered, from Jul. 2020 on new technology including S-100 as well as cooperation for technical development with member countries and other international organizations like the IMO.

Serving as ADDT, allowing 5-year consecutive terms, means a lot both individually and nationally in that his acclaimed work and Korea’s unequaled technical ability are simultaneously credited in this digital navigation age. Also, there is a fair chance that Korea’s technology could be adopted as the global standards.

Established in 1921, the IHO has worked on technical advance in the fields of oceans and hydrographic by setting the standards for the publications for navigation such as each country’s nautical charts; and developing the effective way for hydrographic survey. In 2010, the 93-membered agency officially announced its plan, S-100, to develop the future-oriented standards for nautical charts and ocean passage pilots dedicated to safe navigation.

KHOA produced a vice-chair of the working-level group consisting of experts in 2015, following being selected as a test-runner of S-100 in 2013. While becoming the world’s 1st agency in the test of S-100 prototype on board in 2016 (at Gunsan port, Korea), the organization has completely created the foundation for S-100 pilot cockpit to take the technical initiative constantly.