Towards a Sustainable Arctic - Korean-Norwegian Perspectives
In collaboration with the Norwegian Embassy in Seoul, the Embassy of Korea co-hosted its joint satellite event on ocean sustainability and climate change in the Arctic. The event was hosted in connection with the Arctic Frontiers conference in Tromsø, which had taken place prior to the event. Whereas Arctic Frontiers includes participants from over 25 countries, the satellite event was a result of bi-lateral efforts to encourage dialogue and networking between Norwegian and Korean researchers. As emphasized by Ambassador Kim Pil-woo in his opening remark: “The unpredictable geopolitical situation in the Arctic can be felt everywhere,” the need for even closer cooperation between Norway and Korea to combat global issues grows continuously.
Calls for Coordination
Professor at University of Bergen, Are Olsen, highlighted the importance of international diplomacy in facilitating the Synoptic Arctic Survey (SAS), which seeks to coordinate expedition cruises in the Arctic Ocean. In this sense, Korea is an important player, as it boasts two arctic research stations, as well as an icebreaker used for expeditions known as the RV Aaron. Dr. Anna Nikolopoulos from the Norwegian Polar Institute also called for the coordination of biological research, which has been promoted through the EU-funded arctic passion project. South Korea has participated in this project through the Korean Polar Research Institute (KOPRI), and Dr.
Nikolopoulos, once again, stressed that bi-lateral cooperation is the key to solve geopolitical issues in the Arctic.
Towards binding agreements
With rising temperatures in the Arctic comes greater access to the sea. Hence, it is no coincidence that South Korea as a maritime nation is becoming a key player in Arctic cooperation. This is marked by South Korea’s participation in the binding multilateral agreement to prevent
unregulated fishing in the central Arctic Ocean, which came into force in 2021. Representative of KORPI, Jihoon Jeong, applauded the importance of creating binding agreements and praised Korea’s efforts of hosting the first COP meeting for a sustainable ecosystem in the Central Arctic Ocean in November this year. The president of the Korea Maritime Institute (KMI) continued this sentiment by stating: “Korean-Norwegian partnership will help combat arctic climate change”.
Encouraging Renewable Energy
Bi-lateral efforts between South Korea and Norway on combating climate change has not only grown on the political stage, but also in the private sector. The Norwegian energy company Equinor has actively been in talks with companies in South Korea to establish an offshore
windfarm to catalyze the transition towards green energy, as the South Korean government strives to get 20% of its power output from renewable energy sources before 2030. This is part of a greater plan for South Korea to be completely carbon neutral by 2050, which was manifested through the New Deal announced in 2020, in which the government of South Korea has pledged investments of 114.1 trillion won (approx. 857 billion NOK) to stimulate demand and increase employment.
South Korean Technology – A Key Component?
The technological strength of Korea cannot be ignored in the question of Arctic sustainability. The need for greater use of AI to solve future challenges in the Arctic was emphasized by Helga Flesche Kleiven, Director of Bjerkenes Centre for Climate Research: “We have to be creative on many levels . . . including building and sharing technology together and to be more innovative”. South Korea is currently ranked 7th on the Global AI Index, with plans to further increase government investment in the AI sector.
While Norway and South Korea may be small players in the greater political landscape, they can, nevertheless be important players through their bi-lateral efforts to combat global issues. As stated by Helga Flesche Kleiven in her opening statement to the audience: “What happens in the arctic does not stay in the arctic.”
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Image Sources:
http://nationalatlas.ngii.go.kr/pages/page_1013.php
