KIOST chief eyes marine AI hub, next-generation research vessel to lift South Korea's ocean science standing

"The convergence of AI and marine science and technology is a strategic opportunity to leap beyond the technology gap with advanced nations, present a new paradigm for ocean science, and emerge as a global maritime power."

Lee Hee-seung, president of the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, said in an interview marking his second anniversary in office that he is channeling all of the institute's capabilities into preparing for the era of marine AI.

KIOST plans to invest 20.8 billion won (about $13.7 million) of its own funds by 2029 to build a Marine Science AI Research Center on the grounds of its main campus in Busan.

The center is envisioned as national strategic infrastructure to drive the marine AI era, serving as a core hub for addressing pressing national challenges — including responses to maritime disasters, climate prediction and digital twin-based simulation.

"We plan to integrate and manage data accumulated from research vessels, satellites and ocean science stations, then apply AI technology to improve diagnostic and predictive accuracy — with the goal of realizing safer seas and leading ocean science and technology into the AI era," Lee said.

The institute also intends to focus its capabilities on addressing the climate crisis through AI.

KIOST accumulates real-time ocean climate data through a fleet of six research vessels — including the Isabu and the Onnuri — four ocean science stations at Ieodo, Gageocho, Socheongcho and Wangdolcho, and six overseas research bases around the world.

Lee said the key is not merely collecting that data, but converting it into scientific evidence for national policy decisions. "KIOST is providing core data for climate crisis response — including sea level rise projections, assessments of the ocean's carbon sink capacity and monitoring of marine ecosystem changes," he said. The institute aims to elevate the role of ocean science along the full chain from observation to prediction to policy.

South Korea faces a critical shortage of research vessels capable of conducting ocean science and exploration missions on the open seas. KIOST currently operates two such ships: the 5,900-ton Isabu, which entered service in 2021, and the Onnuri, built in 1992. The Onnuri has already exceeded its 30-year service life, no longer meets internationally accepted standards for deep-sea survey vessels, and poses significant safety concerns due to its age.

The project to build a replacement for the Onnuri was exempted from a preliminary feasibility review last August. The next-generation vessel — a 3,500-ton ship with a total project cost of 191.7 billion won — is currently in basic design with a target completion date of 2030. It will feature a diesel-electric hybrid propulsion system to meet international environmental regulations and will be built as a multipurpose research vessel capable of both coastal and deep-ocean exploration.

Lee said the abolition of the project-based salary system has created a mission-centered research framework, and that KIOST intends to focus on work only it can do, given its large-scale infrastructure — research vessels, ocean science stations and overseas bases. He added that if the institute succeeds in domestically developing marine biology-based stem cell materials, it could replace a market currently dependent on imports, while an AI-powered underwater surveillance system could grow beyond technology localization into an export platform.

"The ocean is the most precious legacy we can pass on to future generations, and ocean science and technology — the ability to accurately understand and predict the sea — is the most important foundation determining a nation's sustainable future," Lee said. "We will commit all of KIOST's capabilities to ensuring that more research outcomes are directly connected to people's lives, and that more people can enjoy a healthy and safe ocean."