[meteorite-list] Korea Finds Its First Meteorites In Antarctica - Seek 2nd Antarctic Station

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2007 16:33:36 -0800 (PST)
Message-ID: <200702060033.QAA19404_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2007/02/06/200702060061.asp

Korea seeks 2nd Antarctic station
The Korea Herald
February 5, 2007

The Korea Polar Research Institute said yesterday it will embark on a
two-month field investigation in Antarctica to look for a site to
establish a second Korean station. It plans to complete the construction
of the new station by 2012.

KOPRI, which is affiliated to the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and
Fisheries, said two of its researchers will on the Russian research ship
Academic Fedorov around the eastern Antarctic starting Feb. 7.

The two researchers - Kim Dong-yup and Chung Kyong-ho - will visit
Russia's five stations in the Antarctic to see how they operate, and
collect information to be applied to the running of Korea's second
station, KOPRI said.

Korea already has a permanent research station, King Sejong, at Barton
Peninsula on King George Island, located 120 kilometers off the coast of
Antarctica in the Southern Ocean. The 20-year-old King Sejong Station is
the main site for Korean research activities in Antarctica.

The King Sejong Station is technically located outside the latitudinal
boundaries of the Antarctic, limiting research activities, KOPRI
officials said.

KOPRI plans to designate a candidate site by October this year, the
officials said.

"The most suitable site for the planned station would be where an
icebreaker can have an easy access. If there is a long distance between
a station and an icebreaker, we would have to use alternative transport
such as a helicopter to move equipment from the vessel to the station,"
said Jin Dong-min, head of the policy research team at KOPRI.

KOPRI has also commissioned the building of an icebreaker, which is
expected to cost 100 billion won ($110 million).

"Late last year, we appointed Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction to
build an icebreaker. Steel-cutting (which signals the start of
construction) will begin in the first quarter of this year," Jin said.

However, Korea's plan for a second station still faces many challenges.
Whether it should be built on the western or eastern side of the
Antarctic has not been agreed among local scientists.

"We will look into the possibilities of the west side of the continent
as well next year," said Jin.

The construction of a station in Antarctica needs agreement among all
member countries of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research.

Korea is the 33rd signatory of the Antarctic Treaty, which designates
Antarctica as a natural reserve. KOPRI undertakes research as part of
the Korean government's Antarctic Research Program.

On Sunday, KOPRI's first meteorite expedition team found five meteorites
in the Antarctic, marking the nation's first discovery of meteorites on
the continent.
Received on Mon 05 Feb 2007 07:33:36 PM PST