At the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission’s (IOC-UNESCO) 31st Assembly in Paris the Republic of Korea, represented by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF), was re-elected onto the IOC Executive Council to continue its work for the period of 2021-2023.

IOC, established in 1960 as the United Nations body responsible for supporting global ocean science and services, promotes international cooperation among its 150 members to appreciate the importance of our shared ocean by coordinating programmes in areas such as ocean observations, effective early warning systems, and marine spatial planning. Most recently, IOC was successful in launching the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (the UN Ocean Decade), a joint project among its 150 members and private stakeholders to promote ocean science as a tool for innovative solutions for a healthier and more resilient ocean.

The Republic of Korea, as a strong advocator of the IOC, attaches great importance to international cooperation within the framework of the IOC, and has been deeply involved in the UN Ocean Decade from the first idea formulation stage to now. As one of the countries that initiated the UN Ocean Decade, the Republic of Korea has made steady financial contribution since 2018 for successful creation of the Decade Implementation Plan. Also, at the launch of the UN Ocean Decade, the Republic of Korea joined the Decade Alliance, the support group for the UN Ocean Decade. The government is working to establish its Ocean Decade Programmes with the ambition to increase its support funding for the UN Ocean Decade, and the first step of the programmes is to publish the Decade Implementation Plan in Korean language to provide Korean citizens with as much information on the details of the UN Ocean Decade.

MOF’s Deputy Minister for Marine Policy Office, Song Sang-Keun, said, “membership of the Executive Council will enable the Republic of Korea to make its continued and stronger commitment to the development of the IOC and to the successful implementation of the UN Ocean Decade. I firmly believe that our concerted efforts to make sustainable ocean will result in the Ocean we want.”