At the National Geographic Information Institute's contest for indigenous Antarctic place names under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the grand prize went to "Cheonghaebong."
The National Geographic Information Institute said on the 4th that "Cheonghaebong" was selected in the final screening of the "indigenous Antarctic place name contest," which was held in October last year to give Korean names to Antarctic terrain based on the public's creative ideas.
The contest was prepared to inscribe Korean names, reflecting the public's creative ideas, on terrain around the Jang Bogo Science Station and the K-route.
Along with this, the National Committee on Geographical Names deliberated and approved 16 new names with high academic and geographical value proposed through this contest and research.
Major peaks and glaciers in Antarctica have until now existed only as numerical coordinates. Through this naming, they are expected to serve as key geographic information in the process of establishing an inland Antarctic base that Korea is pursuing.
This contest goes beyond simply naming terrain and is meaningful in solidifying Korea's position in Antarctic exploration and research in the international community. An official at the National Geographic Information Institute said, "The newly named places are expected to become a 'safety compass' that provides clear location information to expedition members devoted to research in extreme environments."
The National Geographic Information Institute will hold an awards ceremony for the contest on the 5th of this month. The grand prize winner and other awardees will receive certificates and prizes.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to push to list the 16 approved names in the Composite Gazetteer of Antarctica (CGA) of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) in the first half of this year. Once the international registration is complete, the names we have given will be used internationally around the world.
Acting Director Lee Ho-jae of the National Geographic Information Institute said, "We deeply appreciate the enthusiastic support from the public for the indigenous Antarctic place name contest," and added, "We will continue to do our best to expand Korea's polar exploration capabilities through Antarctic exploration and naming, and will keep identifying meaningful names that reflect public interest."