S. Korea elected as member of International Seabed Authority

SEOUL, July 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea was elected as a member of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) for the fourth term in a row, giving it a say in the intergovernmental body's decision making process, Seoul's oceans ministry said Friday. At the ISA's annual session, held in Jamaica, South Korea was tapped as a member of Group B along with France, Germany and India, to serve until 2022, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said. Group B is composed of nations that have made the largest investments in the seabed area. South Korea has carried out several underwater exploration projects, signing a deal with the ISA in March to explore a deep-sea manganese pavement mine lot in the western Pacific. The ISA was established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982), which came into force in 1994, to develop and administer the mineral resources of the deep seabed across the world. ejkim@yna.co.kr (END)