"One Year in Antarctica"... Korea Polar Research Institute Recruits Overwintering Teams for Antarctic Research Stations

17 Members to Be Selected for King Sejong and Jangbogo Stations
Recruitment Covers Nine Fields Including Research and Facility Management

The search is underway for "Korea's Antarctic national representatives" who will be responsible for operating research stations in the polar regions for one year.

The Korea Polar Research Institute announced on March 16 that it will publicly recruit the 2026–2027 Antarctic research station overwintering teams until April 15. A total of 17 members will be selected and assigned to the 40th overwintering team at the King Sejong Station and the 14th overwintering team at the Jangbogo Station in Antarctica.

2025 Winter Solstice Festival at Antarctic King Sejong Station. Courtesy of Korea Polar Research Institute

Overwintering teams reside at the Antarctic stations for a full year in extreme conditions, operating research equipment and handling the maintenance and repair of station facilities. Supporting the activities of researchers and other personnel visiting the stations is also a key responsibility. Unlike the summer-only research teams, the overwintering teams spend a full year on-site, including the Antarctic winter.

Except for the summer season, the Antarctic stations are virtually isolated, with very few external visitors. The Korea Polar Research Institute explained that experiencing all four seasons at the Antarctic and operating the station in such an environment is unique to the overwintering teams.

The recruitment fields are divided into research positions and facility management/cooking positions. Six people will be selected for research positions, covering four areas: oceanography, biology, atmospheric science, and upper atmospheric research. For facility management and cooking positions, 11 people will be recruited across five areas: mechanical equipment, heavy machinery, electrical equipment, electronic communications, and cooking.

The selection process will be conducted in a blind format, with no information on gender, age, or academic background provided. Candidates will be chosen through document screening and interviews, while facility management and cooking positions will also include written and practical evaluations.

2025 Antarctic Jang Bogo Science Station Winter Solstice Festival. Courtesy of Korea Polar Research Institute

The final successful candidates will be announced at the end of July. They will be assigned to either King Sejong Station or Jangbogo Station, based on their preferred work location and the evaluation results. The selected members will receive polar safety and job training before being dispatched to Antarctica in November this year, where they will work for approximately one year.

Shin Hyungchul, Director of the Korea Polar Research Institute, said, "We are looking for talented individuals who will take responsibility for the next year at Korea's Antarctic research stations with a sense of duty as Korea's national representatives in Antarctica. We encourage the challenges of applicants who have curiosity and passion for the ends of the earth."

Applications can be submitted through the Korea Polar Research Institute's recruitment website, with the deadline set for 6:00 p.m. on April 15. Detailed information regarding duties and qualifications for each recruitment field is available on the institute's website.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.