- MOF Holds the Antarctic Science Base Overwinter Research Group Kick-off Ceremony on 29 September -

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Korea Polar Research Institute announced the joint hosting of the Overwinter Party kick-off ceremony for the Antarctic science base at the Korea Polar Research Institute located in Songdo, Incheon on the 29th.

This kick-off ceremony is the first face-to-face event since the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020. MOF delegates led by Vice Minister Song Sang-Geun will attend the ceremony to show their support for the new 1-year journey of the 36th overwinter group of the King Sejong Station and the 10th overwinter group of the Jang Bogo Station.

The Antarctic shows us glimpses of the Earth’s past while it holds many clues to help us to predict the future of climate change. The sediment of the Antarctic glaciers provides us with information on the atmospheric components and the marine ecosystem of the past. In addition, the rate of the glacial meltdown serves as a key benchmark for us to forecast the abnormal global climate as it is directly linked to the rise in sea levels. The overwinter groups will withstand the extreme environment of the Korean Antarctic science stations for about 1 year while collecting data that can help us reveal the planet's past and carry out research on the many aspects of climate change.

Korea operates two Antarctic science facilities, the King Sejong Station and the Jang Bogo Station. There are only 10 nations in the world that operate two or more permanent research facilities on the Antarctic. The King Sejong Station is the first Korean research base established in 1988 on King George Island, off the South Shetland Islands. While the average summer temperature rises to above zero, the winter makes it difficult to perform outdoor activities with drastic weather changes that range from around 10-20 degrees below zero in the winter season. The Jang Bogo Station is the second science research base representing Korea, in Terra Nova Bay of the Victoria Land in the southeast, built in 2014. The lowest temperature in the region sinks to as low as 40 degrees below zero and with the 3-month long polar nights of the winter, the station crew spend most of their time within the station.

The King Sejong Station is particularly active in research efforts targeting the ocean, atmosphere, and ecosystem. In 2003, it was the first in the world to calculate the volume of the gas hydrate reserves, a future resource of the Antarctic peninsula. In 2009, Korea became the 15th country in the world to designate an Antarctic Specially Protected Area, known as the ‘penguin village,’ to protect its ecosystem. For the upcoming research expedition, the researchers plan to continue observing the penguin ecosystem while collecting fish or microorganisms to secure survival resources that may prove useful in withstanding the extreme environment.

The Jang Bogo Station is engaged in research to reveal the past secrets of the planet Earth and universe by analyzing glaciers and meteorites that have remained untouched by mankind for hundreds of thousands of years. The station also serves as a base for extending the inland routes on the Antarctic continent. Currently, a unique 1,740km-long K-Route has been developed that turns inland from the Jang Bogo Station. The new research group plans to investigate the Antarctic Specially Protected Area near the Jang Bogo Station that was designated last year and continue to explore the Ross Sea region Marine Protection Area and the lakes below the Antarctic glaciers.

Other than a few roles, including the commander of the base, all members of the overwinter party are selected through open recruitment by the Korea Polar Research Institute, with 18 members selected for each station this year. In particular, both researchers selected for the study of the high atmosphere and geophysics at the King Sejong Station overwinter group are females. This is the first since the 28th King Sejong Overwinter Group that the station has hosted 2 or more female members. There have been a total of 9 female members of the overwinter party to date.

Besides the members recruited by the Polar Research Institute, the parties include experts dispatched from the Ministry of National Defense, Morea Meteorological Administration, Korea Coast Guard, National Fire Agency, and the Gil Medical Center to support safe operations of the overwinter party in Antarctica.

After the kick-off ceremony, the members will receive theoretical and practical training necessary for survival in the extreme environment, including safety training, emergency first aid, and positioning systems (GPS and wireless communication), as well as training for better communication and teamwork in consideration of the special environment where the members will need to live together in confined spaces. Later, the Jang Bogo crew will be departing on 22 October and the King Sejong crew on 24 November from the Incheon airport to take over the mission from the current crew in Antarctica.

Vice Minister Song Sang-Geun of Oceans and Fisheries expressed his gratitude by saying, “the great achievements in Antarctic research by Korea were all made possible by the dedication of the overwinter parties despite the harsh environment.” He added, “the Ministry will continue to support the exploration of the unknown Antarctic to ensure a better future for our planet and people, and at the same time protect the environment of Antarctica.”