Korea Aims to Be Global Leader in Weather Forecasting

KMA head Chun Byung-seong

By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter

The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) Monday opened a center for the nation's third climate supercomputer in a move to become the world's sixth most advanced country in weather forecasting by 2012.

The state weather agency stands at ninth in the global rankings of weather forecast capability, officials said, but it has been criticized for frequent wide-of-the-mark forecasts in recent years.

The opening ceremony for the three-story center built on 22,350 square meters of land was held at an industrial complex in Ochang, North Chungcheong Province, with about 150 high-ranking officials, and citizens including Environment Minister Lee Maan-ee and KMA Administrator Chun Byung-seong participating.

"The impact of weather forecasting is getting stronger," the minister said in an opening speech. "Today, we took another big step toward the goal of being the world's sixth best nation in weather forecasting capability."

The state weather agency started constructing the center in June 2008 and it was completed two months ago.

"Pilot tests of the supercomputer are underway at the center," KMA spokesman Kim Seung-bae said. "It will be operating at full capacity starting December."

The new supercomputer can analyze changing air movements nearly ten times faster than the current one, which has been in operation since 2004, Kim said. The administration purchased it for 55 billion won ($48.4 million).

The KMA has also stepped up efforts to establish a multi-agency radar operation center to standardize operational procedures of 26 weather radars scattered across the country.

At present, only 12 are under KMA control. The other 14 are controlled by the Korean and U.S. Air Forces, the state-run Korea Aerospace Research Institute and the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs.

Due to operational differences, the state weather agency has been unable to apply a common format and strategy to collecting data.

A weather satellite, which will be put in orbit in the near future, is expected to add to the accuracy of the KMA's forecasts.

So far, the agency has received international weather information via American and Japanese satellites every 30 minutes, but the domestic one will halve the time, according to officials.

pss@koreatimes.co.kr

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