[ MOMAF to Service Differential Global Positioning System ]

The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries(MOMAF) plans to introdu
ce DGPS(Differential Global Positioning System) in the coming April wi
th the establishment of bases stations in Palmi Island and Uchung Isla
nd in the West Sea of Korea and Daejun central control center in south
Kyungsang Province.
The ministry intends to install 6 more base station in Mara Island Gum
oon Island and Young Island in the South Sea, Janggi Point, Jumoonjin
and Ulrung Island in the East Sea of Korea.
The system is expected to provide correct marine information including
the ocean investigation, harbor works and a rock over satellites. An
official of MOMAF said that the Government plans to oerate DGPS system
in the whole area of sea around Korea next year.

Triangular Container Shipping Route Planned to Link Korea, Japan and R
ussia

The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry said it is working on a pl
an to set up a triangular container shipping route linking Korea, Japa
n and Russia.
The ministry will sound out Russian officials during the Korea-Russia
shipping conference slated this month, and then discuss the plan with
Japanese maritime officials during a meeting in April.
It plans to set up a “Northeast Asia Shipping Council”with the parti
cipation of major container shippers in the three countries, which wou
ld work out the details involved with the launching of the new contai
ner shipping route.
The projected sea route would link such ports as Pusan in Korea, Vosto
nichy and Vladivostok in the Russian Far East and Shimonoseki, Mochi a
nd Tsuruga in Japan.
Initially, the shipping firms in the three counries would each chip in
two container vessels with a capacity of 1,000 TEUs or more and joint
ly set up a consortium to operate the ships, the ministry said. It is
hoped the projected shipping route will expand the volume of container
traffic on Korea-Russia sea lanes, which have been on the increase ev
er since opening in july 1991, the ministry said. Some 60,000TEUs of c
ontainers were shipped on the route last year.