Polar Research Ship

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Korea's icebreaking research vessel Araon is making preparations to head to the North Pole this time in its next mission. We’ll introduce you to the research ship in our next report.

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Korea's ice-breaking research vessel "Araon" rescued the domestic deep-sea fishing vessel "Sun Star" in the Antarctic late last year. Three months after returning home from its Antarctic research mission, the icebreaker is preparing for another voyage. A huge crane is used to load a container of research equipment onto the 17 meter-high deck. Daily supplies to be used by some 80 Korean and foreign researchers are also loaded on the Araon. This time, the icebreaker is headed to the North Pole. The vessel will leave Incheon Port on Wednesday, July 20th for a two month exploration of the Arctic continental shelf through September 25th. Seven other countries including the United States are also taking part in the mission, which will focus on ways to extract natural gas and methane gas trapped in ice as Arctic glaciers melt away due to global warming.

[Soundbite] Yang Eun-jin, Ph.D.( Araon Senior Scientist) : "Records so far show that thawing this year could be the most extensive ever. We expect to gather important data for predictions on the future of the Arctic seas."

Korea's second icebreaker dedicated specifically to Arctic exploration is scheduled to be built in five years. Until then, the Araon is on its own in laying the groundwork for the development of the Arctic region.