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To reduce wrong weather forecasts by the error-prone Korea Meteorological Administration, the government has decided to recruit foreign experts and end the KMA's monopoly on forecast services.
The KMA on Tuesday said it sent e-mails to weather bureaus and civilian weather associations in three advanced countries, the U.S., U.K. and Japan, asking them to recommend incumbent or retired weather forecasters willing to work at the KMA.
A government official said the KMA set a late June deadline for reply. ¡°There has been no response from the U.S. But British and Japanese agencies replied they had no suitable candidates,¡± he said. ¡°The government will draw up a list of foreign weather experts whom we want to invite. (The KMA) will make contact with them one by one to ask if they want to work here."
The foreign experts will be employed under contract. If it is difficult to recruit them, the KMA is going to invite them as advisers, the official said. To increase forecast accuracy, the KMA will privatize the job it currently monopolizes. The KMA already reported on its new policy to Cheong Wa Dae last Friday.
The official added, "To enhance the forecast quality, it is essential to transfer the KMA's forecast authority to civilians and ensure public competition in the market. The government will introduce the new competitive system in December so that civilian contractors can provide weather forecast services."
After the government introduces the competitive system, the KMA will stop day-to-day weather forecast services, but it will continue to hold the authority to issue special weather advisories, including warnings of typhoons, torrential rains, heavy snow and heat waves, which are directly linked to protection of the people's lives and property.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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