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2nd Vice Minister's Remarks at the Ny-Ålesund Symposium
- Date
- 2013-05-31
- Hit
- 4285
Remarks
by H.E. Cho Tae-yul
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs
of the Republic of Korea
at the Ny-Ålesund Symposium
May 27, 2013
Ny-Ålesund, Spitsbergen, Norway
Minister Eide,
Distinguished Participants,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
1. Introduction
It is indeed a great pleasure for me to address this important symposium in this exotic town of Ny-Alesund. It is exhilarating, but also a little bit surreal for me to be in the Arctic. I would like to begin by expressing my sincere appreciation to Minister Eide for giving me this opportunity to share Korea's perspectives on the issues related to the Arctic region.
I have met Minister Eide three times in a row in one month time period: first, in New York during the UN Security Council meeting; second, in Ulaanbaatar on the occasion of Conference of Democracies, and now here in Ny-Alesund for the Arctic Symposium. And as I understand it, he and I are flying to Paris on the same plane the day after tomorrow to participate in the OECD Ministerial meeting. What a coincidence!
But I believe this is a clear evidence of how close we are in terms of our shared interests and commitments in the community of nations.
Norway, as an Arctic nation, has been quite successful in developing the Arctic region for oil and gas exploration in an environmentally sustainable manner. In this sense, Norway could be a role model for other coastal countries. And this symposium provides an excellent opportunity for Arctic stakeholders to share such best practices and valuable information on the past and current activities in the region.
I am confident that at the end of our discussions today and tomorrow, all of us will become a bit wiser in dealing with the challenges and opportunities brought about by enormous changes now taking place in the Arctic.
2. The Arctic: Challenges or Opportunities?
As we all know, the Arctic is changing at a breathtaking pace, and in a scale that is unprecedented. The average temperature is rising twice as quickly as the global average. Snow, sea ice and permafrost are melting more rapidly. The Arctic ecosystem is particularly vulnerable to global warming and climate change due to the short growing season and the relative lack of diversity of living organisms.
The Arctic region is home to 4 million indigenous people and other inhabitants. Because of its fragile ecosystem, climate change has significant repercussions on the regional economy as well as the lives of the inhabitants.
Moreover, climate change in the Arctic has an impact that extends far beyond the region. This is why some call the Arctic the world’s “weather kitchen”. The melting of the sea ice and the change in deep water circulation is changing global weather patterns and increasing sea levels, affecting millions of people around the world.
However, as every cloud has a silver lining, global warming will offer new economic opportunities.
As polar ice continues to melt, another Mediterranean sea surrounded by Europe, Asia and America is about to be revealed. Recently we have also observed Arctic Sea Routes open for summer voyages. By 2020, it is predicted that the Arctic Sea will become navigable for six months each year. By 2030, its navigability will be secured all year round.
When using the Northern Sea Route instead of the existing route through the Suez Canal, the shipping distances between East Asia and Europe will be shortened by up to 30 to 40%.
The vitality of the Northern Sea Route will depend on a multiple of factors: ice conditions in the Arctic Sea, Russia’s Arctic hydrocarbon development, demand for global energy, development of Arctic navigation technology, and global oil prices, just to name a few. Nevertheless, roughly 7% of East Asia’s container shipments are expected to transit the Northern Sea Route by 2030.
In addition to shipping, the Arctic holds the world’s largest remaining untapped oil, gas and fisheries reserves. A well-known 2008 US survey shows that 30% of the world’s unexploited gas and 13% of the world’s oil lie under the seas around the North Pole. Until now, permanent ice has prevented drilling, but as climate change forces the ice to retreat, these reserves are becoming more accessible. It has also been predicted that 37% of the world’s fish may be harvested in the Arctic Sea by 2020.
3. Principles for Arctic Resources Development
In order to translate the tremendous potential in the Arctic into economic opportunities across the world, I believe four principles should be respected.
First, peace and stability must be maintained in the region. Maritime boundary and sovereignty issues should be settled peacefully among littoral nations so that an ‘ice cold war’ will not heat up in the future.
Second, the development costs accruing from operating under severe conditions should be offset by technological innovation and other means.
Third, protection of the Arctic environment should be given top priority in pursuing development. Environmental disaster, such as an oil spill, even on a relatively small scale, could devastate the fragile Arctic ecosystem, provoking public outcry against further drilling in the area.
Fourth, the exploration and utilization of Arctic resources should be conducted in a way that the indigenous people can fully enjoy the benefits.
4. Korea's Past and Current Contribution
Korea’s presence in the Arctic dates back to 2002, when Korea’s Arctic Station, Dasan, was set up on the Svalbard Archipelago. In 2009, Korea’s first ice-breaker research vessel, ARAON, was launched. During the last decade or so, Korea has actively participated in the research programs and activities initiated by the Arctic Council, and shared the outcome of its research and knowledge with Arctic countries.
In my view, it is in recognition of such contributions that Korea was granted permanent observer status in the Arctic Council two weeks ago at the ministerial meeting in Kiruna, Sweden. Taking this opportunity, I would like to thank Norway and other member states of the Council for their support. We welcome the Kiruna Declaration and fully share the Vision for the Arctic adopted at Kiruna. A peaceful, prosperous, safe and healthy Arctic serving as home to millions of inhabitants is also a vision Korea aims to achieve through its activities in the Arctic.
Going forward, Korea can make significant contributions to the sustainable development of the Arctic region. For one, Korean ports are strategically located on the Northern Sea Route, enabling them to serve as a regional hub for maritime transport in East Asia.
On the supply side, Korea is the number one ship builder in the world. We possess first-class maritime engineering skills and know-how. Korea is also one of the global leaders in information and communication technology (ICT). On the demand side, Korea is the world’s second largest importer of natural gas and the fifth largest importer of crude oil.
For these reasons, we are greatly interested in facilitating the development of the maritime transport industry in an efficient and environmentally sustainable way. It is with this keen interest that Korean scientists have been engaged in the Arctic Council’s working group activities, particularly the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme(AMAP) and Ecosystem-based Management(EBM).
5. Korea: A Reliable Partner for Arctic Development
The Korean government under the new leadership of President Park Geun-hye attaches a great importance to Korea's participation in the Arctic activities and put it high on its national policy agenda.
In pursuing this policy, the Korean government will adhere to the following three principles.
First, we will fully respect the sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction of Arctic states. In this context, we are committed to complying with international rules set forth in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) that applies to the Arctic Sea. Korea also became a party to the Svalbard Treaty last year, recognizing the sovereignty of Norway over the Svalbard Archipelago. We will also play an active role in the rule-making processes of the IMO regarding the Polar Code, and join international efforts to make the Arctic passage safer and environmentally-friendly.
Second, we will fully respect the values, interests, cultures and traditions of the indigenous people and other inhabitants. Due attention will be paid to the human resources development in pursuing our Arctic activities, as we believe it is essential for the sustainable development of their economy. Korea's advanced information and communication technology will serve as an important tool for its contribution in this respect.
Finally, we will ensure that scientific assessments and knowledge guide our actions in the Arctic. In this regard, we will adhere to the highest standards for environmental protection and safety.
6. Conclusion
Distinguished Participants, Ladies and Gentlemen,
In order to better cope with our common challenges and seize the opportunities emerging in the Arctic, you need good and reliable partners. I am confident that you will find one in the Republic of Korea.
We will remain committed to becoming a trusted and constructive partner with all Arctic States, as well as a dedicated observer at the Arctic Council. Close cooperation based on mutual trust is already underway between Korea and Norway. Last year, our two countries signed two MOUs on the occasion of visit to Norway by our former President Lee Myung-bak. One is an inter-governmental agreement on marine transportation and engineering; the other is an inter-agency agreement between the Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI) and the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) on cooperation in Arctic research. Building on these agreements, the two institutes are now working together to set up a cooperative research center in Tromsø.
I am confident that Korea's presence at the Arctic Council as permanent observer will further deepen and broaden our partnership in all Arctic activities in the many years to come.
Thank you very much. /END/