Korea Cadastral Survey Corp. (KCSC) Vice President Lee Min-suk, second from left, poses with Dutch Cadastre Chair Executive Board member Dornie Burmanje, center, and other experts after signing a memorandum of understanding on the two countries’ cooperation on a cadastre system at a convention center in Amsterdam, Tuesday. / Courtesy of KCSC

This is the fifth in a series of articles featuring the country’s best public entities, state-run organizations and government-backed corporations picked through surveys among experts. ― ED.

By Kim Tae-gyu

The Korean wave or ``hallyu’’ is seemingly not merely restricted to local popular culture. The frenzy for Korean things has also had a ripple effect on a set of other segments including cadastre.

The Korea Cadastral Survey Corp. (KCSC) said Wednesday that the state-run agency has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with its Dutch counterpart Kadaster along with the University of Twente and Delft University of Technology.

As far as cadastre is concerned, the Netherlands is one of the world’s foremost players and the contract is expected to raise awareness of KCSC so that the Seoul-based outfit can join the world’s top ranks.

``The MOU will pave the way for mutual cooperation between Korea and the Netherlands not only in educational and industrial areas of cadastre and land administration but also in joint consulting projects overseas,’’ a KCSC official said.

``Furthermore, this enables both parties to share valuable experiences and undertake collaborative research in the field of 3D cadastre.’’

The KCSC also said that it will continue efforts to diversify its business.

``Thus far, the KCSC’s activities have pivoted mainly around cadastral surveys, digitizing maps, land administration, building cadastre-related data system and using 3D cadastre to create maps of cultural heritage sites for preservation and restoration,’’ the official said.

``In this climate, the MOU has a special meaning. It will go beyond a simple technical cooperation agreement. It will let KCSC expand its fields of activities to tackle such global problems as climate change, natural disaster and water shortage.’’

The idea of the KCSC is a better cadastre format powered by cutting-edge technology could allow the government to better predict natural disasters as well as find new water sources.

Toward that end, the KCSC has set its sights outside Asia’s fourth-largest economy and chalked up a host of substantial performances in nations where cadastre systems have yet to be streamlined.

The KCSC has tapped into Vietnam and Laos through participating in projects sponsored by the Seoul administration. Recently, it has turned to the Commonwealth of Independent States.

It successfully completed a program to improve the land cadastral system in Azerbaijan in late 2010 as a first step into Central Asia.

Currently, it is conducting a similar upgrade of the cadastral system and land registration in Turkmenistan on the back of its leading technologies such as global positioning system surveying.

The KCSC has also established a footing outside Asia.

Earlier this year, it wrapped its supporting work on a land tenure security program in Haiti, a consulting project geared toward bettering the cadastral system of the country.

KCSC President Kim Young-ho has also iterated the initiative of expanding the organization’s business horizon based on brisk advancements into overseas markets.

``Until now, we have relied mainly on Korea’s official funds in carrying out the overseas projects. But we are set to break away slowly from our conventional ways of doing businesses,’’ Kim said.

``Through exploring and expanding systematically in the global market, we are striving to become one of the front runners in the geo-spatial information industry.