U.S. meteorologist vows to upgrade Korea's weather forecast ability

By Kim Eun-jung
SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Yonhap) -- Kenneth Crawford, a renowned U.S. meteorologist who
recently made headlines for his employment contract with the South Korean
government, said Friday that he wants to play a role in growing South Korea into
a global meteorological power by taking advantage of its advanced information
technology.
The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) earlier this week announced its
appointment of Crawford, concurrently a chair-professor at the University of
Oklahoma, as vice administrator of the KMA, making him the first foreigner to
take a high-ranking government position here.
"The IT infrastructure in South Korea looks better than infrastructure in the
U.S. Utilizing my professional expertise, we can think of establishing networks
to connect to the (U.S.) meteorological data," Crawford said at a news conference
in Seoul.
"I will lay the foundations for Korea to stand firmly as a meteorological power
in the world."
Under a contract signed with the KMA, the 65-year-old Crawford is to serve until
May 2012 as chief of the agency's Meteorological Advancement Council created to
acquire advanced skills and experience from other countries.
Crawford, who has worked in the meteorological sector over the past three
decades, is to receive an annual salary of US$260,000, roughly twice that of the
South Korean president, in addition to an apartment and a car.
The appointment of Crawford is intended to upgrade the nation's weather forecast
capabilities, said officials at the KMA, which is struggling to restore public
confidence after being criticized for a number of false forecasts last year.
"My approach is to draw a road map by 2012 and I have developed what I call the
top 10 issues," Crawford said, noting some tasks include building standardized
radar system and establishing networks between private and the national
meteorological agencies.
"Big changes are difficult to implement, but some of the improvements will be
made in the short term," he added.
ejkim@yna.co.kr
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