If we apply Mahan's conditions, Korea is located on a key route sea lane to connect Europe and the Americas as a gateway of a continent and is equipped with an environment that possesses a long coastline and established global ports, the newly appointed minister pointed out in a special interview with the Korea IT Times to commemorate his inauguration.
Considering advanced maritime countries such as the Netherlands, Britain, and Greece, the Minister says he believes that a variable like the people's progressive spirit and the government's creative effort is above all an important element for our country that determines the destiny of a maritime nation.
Oceans with unlimited opportunities To utilize the rich resources of the sea that gives prosperity and comfort to the nation, he sees realizing five maritime goals within five years as MOMAF's vision for Korea to become a maritime power. To that end, Kim said he believes his ministry has to make Korea a maritime powerhouse globally (Blue Revolution), paving the way for unlimited opportunities (Blue Ocean) through innovation and creativity.
Regarding five values to have to be realized, the Minister names the realization of a Northeast Asia logistics center (Hub), the construction of a safe marine environment that makes people joyful (Happiness), the materialization of affluent marine resources and a healthy oceanic ecosystem (Healthy), the construction of a maritime-friendly nation that guarantees a leisure life of the nation (Hobby), and the harmony of maritime development and preservation (Harmony).
He explained that policy development and realization for the sake of such value materialization would be a decisive strategy to be able to become one of the five maritime powers globally.
In conjunction with such strategies, Minister Kim committed himself to preparing the nation to become one of the five top maritime powers globally by 2015 by attracting the 2012 World Expo to Yeosu (a scenic city on Korea's southern coastline) at all costs.
Morocco and Poland have also expressed their intention to compete with Korea for hosting the 2012 World Exhibition according to Kim. Considering the estimated economic and diplomacy power of Korea's competitors, the Minister predicted that Korea had a good chance of succeeding in luring this Exhibition, provided we launch enticement activities systematically, based on the nation's 2010 World Exhibition bid experience.
As a concrete strategy in the interests of the 2012 World Exhibition attraction, he pledged that above all, the Ministry would prepare international level's Exhibition basic plan without any setbacks.
In addition to appointing a central enticement committee in collaboration between the private and public sectors, MOMAF plans to unfold multi-faceted promotional activities by analyzing the competing countries as well as BIE member nations thoroughly, Kim said. Leadership of nurturing maritime science technology
Concerning the importance of the ocean as a growth engine to lead economic development, Kim explained that Korea is a nation which attained economic growth through exports, and 99.7% of imports & exports of goods transported has an economic structure which is transported via the sea.
In particular, the growth phase of the Korean shipbuilding industry' as the No. 1 shipbuilder globally shows the actual circumstances that 38 ships among 100 vessels of the world are built by Korea. Moreover, the shipbuilding industry contributes to around 70% of figures in black ink of the entire trade balance at home.
Clearly, sea transport, port industry and shipbuilding industry are playing a major role as a growth engine of national economy and such a role will continue in the years to come, he predicted.
Minister Kim went on to mention that fields the government wishes to nurture as new growth engines are particularly the maritime resources development and maritime science technology fields. He added that advanced countries also are expanding their investment in maritime science technology to seek solutions regarding depletion of resources, earth environment change and problems in the ocean.
To develop maritime science
technology to the advanced country level with a view to creating a new maritime industry, currently MOMAF is assuming leadership of nurturing maritime science technology intensively.
As part of such strategies, the Ministry plans to concentrate its efforts on securing the core technology for the sake of the commercialization of maritime science technology by investing a total of 3.34 trillion won (around $3.5 billion), namely by investing 300 billion~400 billion won every year in 47 cutting-edge maritime science technology fields during 10 years by 2015.
More tasks remaining
In regard to the past 10 years' performance since the establishment of MOMFA in 1996, the Minister proudly pointed to the fact that MOMAF has achieved remarkable performances in diverse fields.
As such, he named the ministry's national maritime vision presentation as well as awareness promotion about maritime culture, maritime development capability's enlargement, shippingassociated system's consolidation as well as port operation's self-regulation, hub port construction for the purpose of building a Northeast Asia logistics hub country, together with effective supply of marine products.
Especially, in the case of hub port construction, the budget for constructing new ports such as the Busan New Port has increased from 30 billion won to 907.1 billion won.
Yet, Kim pointed out that many tasks remain to be completed. In particular, active ocean management is a survival/development strategy of the 21st century.
In that sense, he insists that making inroads into ocean development will be an inevitable task to secure our country's existence and prosperity in the 21st century, adding that the sea is a last fortress which can solve the food problem, resources problem, space problem, and environment problem etc., --crucial challenges for humankind to resolve for future survival.
Kim further pointed out that Alvin Toffler predicted the maritime industry as one of the four core industries to spearhead the "Third Wave," along with IT, space development, and biotechnology.
He emphasized his belief that Korea has to become the highest ocean-wealthy country globally (Blue Revolution) by paving the way for unlimited opportunity's ocean (Blue Ocean) through innovation and creativity.
On the occasion of the 11th Sea's Day on May 31, this year, MOMAF is planning to acquaint the people with the importance of the ocean by preparing diverse programs including a commemorating ceremony of the 11th Sea's Day on May 26 at COEX as well as a joint academic rally regarding maritime science technology development direction to be held for two days on May 15~16 at BEXCO, Busan.
Regarding MOMAF's priority projects since his inauguration, Minister Kim pledged that he would focus on allowing existing MOMAF affairs to be carried out as they should be in the context of nurturing a Northeast Asia logistics hub, the marine products industry's autogenesis power security, maritime territory's systematic management, and new growth engine's creation through investment enlargement about marine science technology.
In conclusion, he commented that there is a high possibility for Korea to attract the 2012 World Expo to Yeosu, compared with the last time, since Korea has a favorable geographic location, and the normalization of the Busan New Port is opportune from a standpoint that strategic policy is needed for the sake of creating Korea as a Northeast Asian logistics hub.
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