S. Korean icebreaker begins first Antarctic voyage

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CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand, Jan. 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's first dedicated
icebreaker set out on Tuesday to explore waters off Antarctica and examine
candidate sites for a second Korean research station on the frozen continent.
The Araon, a 7,487-ton icebreaker and research ship, left Christchurch on the
eastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand for a 40-day mission during
which the crew will test the vessel's ability to cut through ice up to 1 meter
thick and conduct key surveys. The ship is expected to sail 11,000 kilometers in
its first mission.
Christened last year and equipped with various oceanographic, geophysical and
arctic environment laboratories, the ship has an endurance of 37,000 kilometers,
or about 70 days. It is also designed to provide logistical support to South
Korea's King Sejong Station located on Antarctica's Barton Peninsula.
The ship embarked on the journey from the port of Lyttelton in Christchurch with
85 South Koreans, including scientists, onboard as its crew. In addition, five
Russian experts on sailing through ice, a helicopter pilot from New Zealand and a
four-person maintenance team will also join the journey.
The Araon plans to rendezvous with the Russian icebreaker Akademik Petrov on
Sunday for input on how to operate in Antarctic waters and sail through thick ice
sheets at a designed speed of up to 5.5 kilometers per hour.
After determining whether the ship can sail through ice sheets, the Araon along
with the Akademik Petrov will visit Cape Burks and Terra Nova Bay, which have
been designated as candidate sites for South Korea's second research base.
"Based on the survey conducted by the scientists on board, the government will
make its decision on the location of the second research base in the first half
of this year," an official on board the ship said.
In 2008, South Korea announced plans to open another base in Antarctica sometime
after 2011 to expand its research capabilities on the world's southernmost
continent.
Once its mission is completed, the Araon is expected to return to Christchurch on
Feb. 18 and return to the South Korean port of Incheon by mid-March.
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