The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will hold the “9th Arctic Cooperation Week” at BEXCO in Busan from Tuesday, December 10 to Thursday, December 12.
 
As the only comprehensive Arctic-related event held in a non-Arctic country, the “Arctic Cooperation Week” has served as a venue for discussing Arctic-related issues and directions for cooperation each year.

This year’s event will be held under the theme “The Arctic and People: Interaction, Collaboration, and Shared Prosperity.” It will be attended by domestic research institutes such as the Korea Maritime Institute, Polar Research Institute, and Korean Society of Polar Medicine and overseas organizations such as the embassies of Arctic countries in Korea, Arctic Economic Council, and Arctic Frontier Secretariat as well as local governments and universities such as Busa-si, Incheon National University, and Yeongsan University, with various programs operated. 

The first day is “Communication Day,” and it will feature an opening ceremony and a forum for governments, academe, and research institutes from the Arctic and non-Arctic regions to discuss cooperation for the sustainability of the Arctic. Through the International Arctic Science Cooperation Seminar and the Arctic Ocean Policy Forum, scientific research and policies that can help<?> the people who reside there and interact directly or indirectly with the Arctic will be discussed. 

The second day is "Knowledge Day," featuring an international seminar to discuss the Northern Sea Route's operating conditions and utilization potential and share related research trends. The event will also provide various programs for people who are interested in the Arctic, such as Dialogue of the Arctic with the Next Generation, Encounter with Arctic Art, and lecture on the polar region for the general public. In the lecture on the polar region for the general public in particular, famous science YouTuber Orbit will answer the public’s questions about the Artic.

The last day is “Sustainability Day,” and it will feature an expert seminar to strengthen Korea’s activities in the Arctic Council and a seminar to expand blue economy cooperation with Arctic countries. There will also be a forum to discuss the current status and prospects of Arctic policy and cooperation with indigenous peoples, featuring experts in humanities and social sciences related to the Arctic.

“I hope this event will be an opportunity for the Arctic and non-Arctic regions to expand the horizon of cooperation for a sustainable future in the face of climate change, a common challenge facing humanity,” Minister of MOF Kang Do-hyung said.