Pukyong National University Professor Emeritus Changik Jang Appointed as Representative Member of UN World Ocean Assessment Expert Group

Asia-Pacific Representative for the 'Fourth World Ocean Assessment'
Korea’s Global Standing in Marine Science on the Rise

Changik Jang, Professor Emeritus at Pukyong National University, has been appointed as the representative member for the Asia-Pacific region in the expert group of the 'Fourth World Ocean Assessment,' which is part of the United Nations (UN) Regular Process (UNRP).

The UN Regular Process for World Ocean Assessment is an official international program that comprehensively evaluates and reports on the marine environment from scientific, social, and economic perspectives. Its goal is to strengthen joint efforts among governments to protect the marine environment and to support policymakers in making science-based decisions.

Professor Jang has been selected as a member of the expert group for the second consecutive term, following his participation in the Third Regular Process, reaffirming the international standing of Korea's marine science sector. The UN conducted the First Regular Process (2010-2014), the Second (2016-2020), and the Third (2021-2025), and plans to carry out the Fourth Regular Process over the next five years until 2030.

The World Ocean Assessment expert group consists of 25 experts, with five representatives from each region. The group plays a pivotal role in establishing and implementing assessment plans and overseeing the World Ocean Assessment report. Among these responsibilities, Professor Jang will be in charge of key tasks such as managing and supervising marine assessments and developing policy documents based on the results of the World Ocean Assessment.

Professor Emeritus Changik Jang was elected as a full member of the Korean Academy of Science and Technology in 2005. He has served as a Presidential Advisory Policy Planning Committee member, a member of the National Sustainable Development Committee, Chair of the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT), and as a professor at the World Fisheries University, among other roles, continuing his extensive activities in the domestic and international marine and fisheries sectors.