The Korea Maritime Institute came into being in 1997 when the National Assembly approved a bill to establish a research center to help advance the country's maritime sector.
The group's staff researchers study and analyze the utilization and preservation of the surrounding oceans. The KMI helps promote fishing and other maritime industries through research efforts. It also supports public and private sectors in the policymaking process.
The institute employs 180 fulltime staff, including 50 Ph.D.s. The group's annual budget is $25 million.
``The international environment surrounding the oceans is rapidly changing," according to KMI President Ghang Jong-hee.
Against this change, the Korea Maritime Institute aims to propose a development vision for Korea's maritime and fisheries industry and produce government policies and business strategies, he noted.
The institute's research activities include examining policy issues for ocean governance, maritime environment, fisheries, shipping and ports.
The group also conducts comparative analysis on domestic and international government policies on ocean-related affairs. The KMI also conducts research on maritime bilateral and multilateral treaties as well as joint research projects with domestic and overseas research groups.
Partnerships include the Korea-U.S. Marine Policy Joint Research Center, headquartered in Rhode Island in the United States. The center's activities include researching the ocean policies of major countries and ocean industry development. The center also conducts research on ocean resources management as well as coastal zone management.
The KMI is the parent group of the Korea Dokdo Research Center. The center was set up in 2006 to conduct systematic and comprehensive research on Dokdo-related issues and support government policies concerning the East Sea islets.
The center studies policies to safeguard Korea's territorial rights to Dokdo through joint international, humanitarian and sociological research. It collects and analyzes Dokdo-related materials from foreign institutions, such as the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.