The International Permafrost Association is pleased to welcome the entry of South Korea as its 26th country member. The South Korean representation will be led by Dr. Yoo Kyung Lee, from the Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI, www. kopri.kr).
Korea has been active in permafrost research since over 20 of years, but the inception of the Korea Polar Institute has given a boost to its permafrost community which is active both in the Arctic and the Antarctic. The Korean permafrost committee will consist of seven members from the Korea arctic Multidisciplinary Program (KAMP) which was launched by KOPRI in 2010. The KAMP has collaborative members from universities and institutes, and Dr. Lee expects that the number of permafrost scientists in Korea will grow rapidly. Prof. Hans-Wolfgang Hubberten, president of the IPA greeted the entry of South Korea as very positive development for Korea and for the IPA.