South Korea Secures International Coordination Secretariat for the 5th International Polar Year with Norway and Chile

[Financial News, Incheon = Han Gap-su] South Korea, together with Norway and Chile, has secured the International Coordination Secretariat for the 5th International Polar Year (IPY-5), scheduled for 2032 to 2033.
Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI) said on the 13th that a bid proposal submitted by a consortium formed with polar research institutions in Norway and Chile passed international review. The final result was announced on the 12th local time at the plenary meeting of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), which is being held in Norway.
The International Polar Year is a large-scale international joint research program carried out every 25 to 50 years to study how changes in the polar regions affect the global environment and climate, and to develop responses.
It began with the first International Polar Year in 1882 and has been held four times so far, in 1932, 1957 and 2007. In particular, the third International Polar Year in 1957 to 1958 helped spur international joint research in Antarctica. That effort later led to major cooperation in polar science, including the 1959 Antarctic Treaty, which set out the peaceful use of Antarctica, scientific cooperation and the freezing of territorial claims.
The 5th International Polar Year is scheduled for 2032 to 2033, and the International Coordination Secretariat will operate from early 2027 through 2035. The secretariat will coordinate research areas among participating countries, approve joint research projects and promote the results of international collaborative studies.
Three consortia competed for the bid, including the South Korea-Norway-Chile consortium. The proposal underwent review by an executive committee made up of representatives from the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the International Science Council (ISC).
On the South Korean side, KOPRI will serve as the regional hub for Asia. It will coordinate research cooperation among relevant countries, including Oceania, and support participation in joint research projects. The Chilean Antarctic Institute will handle South America, while the Norwegian Polar Institute and The Arctic University of Norway will be responsible for Northern Europe.
KOPRI expects that securing the International Coordination Secretariat will further strengthen South Korea's role in international polar research.
Earlier, South Korea also confirmed that it will host POLAR 2030, a joint Antarctic and Arctic academic conference planned by SCAR and IASC, in Incheon in 2024. Combined with the launch of the next-generation icebreaking research vessel and the latest bid win, the move is expected to raise the international profile of South Korea's polar research.
KOPRI President Shin Hyung-chul said, "We will actively support efforts to ensure that global joint research to overcome the climate crisis is carried out vigorously through the 5th International Polar Year."
[email protected] Han Gap-su Reporter