IHO infrastructure center to open in Busan, setting global standard for digital maritime data

A key body of an international organization tasked with developing and verifying digital standards for maritime data — including electronic navigational charts, tidal data and ocean currents used by vessels worldwide — will open in Busan. The center will develop and manage S-100, the next-generation international standard that allows different types of maritime data to be displayed together on a single navigation screen.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said Monday that the International Hydrographic Organization Infrastructure Center will hold its opening ceremony at Busan International Finance Center 2 on Tuesday.

The IHO is an intergovernmental organization that oversees international standards for nautical charts and maritime information worldwide. The infrastructure center opening in Busan is an IHO subsidiary body dedicated to developing and verifying S-100, the next-generation digital maritime information standard.

S-100 is an international standard designed to overlay not only conventional electronic navigational charts but also real-time maritime data such as tidal conditions and ocean currents onto a single navigation display. It forms the foundation of an integrated digital maritime information system that provides vessels with comprehensive operational data.

The infrastructure center will be responsible for developing and managing the S-100 international standard and operating the supporting infrastructure. It will also support type approval for Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems and back S-100-based operational services, helping countries around the world transition their maritime information to the S-100 framework.

About 100 participants from more than 30 countries are expected to attend the opening ceremony, including officials from the ministry and Busan city, the IHO secretary-general, member-state delegations, and representatives from domestic and international maritime institutions.

Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Hwang Jong-woo said it was deeply meaningful that the IHO Infrastructure Center, which will lead the global digital transformation of the maritime sector, was opening in South Korea. "We will do our utmost to ensure that the opening of this infrastructure center makes the world's oceans safer and strengthens the global competitiveness of Korea's maritime industry," Hwang said.