Korea Marine Environment Protection Center

1) Brief introduction
The Korea Marine Environment Protection Center (KMEPC), found in September 2011, undertakes to coordinate all the activities of several agencies to implement the National Ship Oil Pollution Contingency Response System which aims to preventing air and marine pollution by ships. Given this, it is responsible for combatting any pollution by wastes from ships to minimize associated damage, addressing legal claims for damages or cleanup costs caused by pollution cases, analyzing any damage caused by oil pollution and carrying out research and development of oil pollution removal equipment.
Recently KMEPC takes appropriate actions to effectively combat pollution by ships in the territorial and internal waters of the DPR Korea and minimize any side effect of such pollution, thus contributing to marine environment protection of the DPR Korea. With Clean Environment, Immediate Response as its motto, it periodically organizes simulated response to oil pollution under the National Ship Oil Pollution Contingency Response System in order to provide ever-ready resources for real response in the DPR Korea’s waters. As a result, it succeeded in minimizing the damage of the recent marine pollution accidents by providing timely response.
KMEPC always channels its efforts to research and development of methodologies and equipment to be used in disposal of ship generated pollutants. Further, it cooperates with several research institutions and consultant agencies to evaluate, analyze and improve the ship GHG emissions reduction measures. Another important function of KMEPC is to conduct assessment, monitoring and measurement of shipping activities’ impact on the environment. To this end, it analyzes and evaluates material discharged from or used onboard the ships which operate in the DPR Korea’s waters and at ports to ensure that such material complies with applicable standards. It also pays attention to cooperation with international or nongovernmental organizations involved in marine environment protection.

2) Major achievements
Since established in 2011, KMEPC has successfully undertaken oil removal and post-damage recovery operations immediately responding to the following five oil pollution accidents caused by sunken or stranded ships.

• Response to oil spillage caused by the HIGHSEA, Chinese flagged ship, which was sunken in the waters off the coast of Jasan ri, Thongchon County, Kwangwon Province on 9 December 2011.
• Response to oil spillage caused by the collision between the HUNGGYONG, DPR Korea flagged ship, and CHRITION 3, Panamanian flagged ship, which occurred on 14 February 2012.
• Response to oil spillage caused by the AOYANGXIWANG, Panamanian flagged ship, which was stranded at an anchorage at the Chongjin Port, North Hamgyong Province on 29 August 2012.
• Response to oil spillage caused by the JOPOL 2, DPR Korea flagged ship, which was stranded in the waters off the coast of Pongam ri, Ranam District, Chongjin City, North Hamgyong Province on 11 November 2012.
• Response to oil spillage caused by the collision between the OUNCHONGNYON, DPR Korea flagged ship, and XINGFUDA, Chinese flagged ship, which occurred on 18 May 2013.

Contact details
Address : Mirae-dong, Phyongchon District, Pyongyang, DPR Korea
E-mail : mepc.dprk @silibank.net.kp