- MOF holds a donation ceremony for ODA equipment on ocean science with Indonesia -

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries(Minister MOON, Seong-Hyeok) and Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (President KIM, Woong-Seo) is holding a virtual donation ceremony between Busan, Korea and Bandung, Indonesia on June 3(Thursday) at 1 p.m. to celebrate Korea’s donation of ODA equipment for Ocean Science and Technology.

As of 2016, the Republic of Korea and Indonesia signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MOU). Building upon the bilateral cooperation, the two nations have continued to cooperate for the development in the maritime sector via establishing the Bilateral Maritime Dialogue as well as the Maritime Technology Cooperation Research Center in Chirbon, Indonesia. In details, MOF has been pushing much further for a basic survey and capacity-building project on ocean and coasts in Chirbon, Indonesia with 5 billion won in total for 4 consecutive years since 2019. As a result of the project, the ministry has donated research equipment for ocean science worth of 1.1 billion won to Indonesia, including a research ship, Ara-ho.

The donation ceremony will be joined by the Vice Minister Agung Kuswandono of Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Governor Mochamad Ridwan Kamil of West Java, the Vice President I Gede Wenten of Bandung Institute of Technology as well as by 20 Korean officials including Deputy Minister SONG Sang-Keun for Maritime Policy Office of Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and President KIM Woong-Seo from Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, which is the operator for the ODA project.

Among the equipment donated this time, Ara-ho, the Marine Research Ship(12 tons in weight, equipped with three-dimensional water depth measurement and equipment for undersea ground exploration) was engaged in the rescue operation of the Indonesian airplane crash last January, under the request from the Indonesian government. An a token of appreciation, the Indonesian government extended its gratitude to its Korean counterpart via an diplomatic letter, and contributed much to the bilateral ties by covering the story in the Indonesian press.

At the ceremony, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries will award a certificate of donation to the Indonesian government, while in return, the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment will deliver a plaque of appreciation to express its gratitude regarding bilateral cooperative activities such as capacity-building training and receipt of research equipment for ocean and science.

Minister MOON, Seong-Hyeok of Oceans and Fisheries cited, “As the two countries have reached a consensus on integrated administration for the maritime and fisheries sector, we wish to further enhance the bilateral partnership with Indonesia via strengthening policy capacities in the field of ocean science, responding actively together to climate change with the marine litter management, decarbonization, utilization of blue carbon and etc.”