The government will commercialize a high-precision positioning information system (GPS) with an error margin of 5 cm. It is expected to be widely used in various land industries, including smart ports, autonomous vessels, autonomous vehicles, logistics transportation, and agricultural drones. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries aims to expand the marine information industry market size to 27 trillion won by 2029.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries presented the 'marine navigation information system innovation strategy' containing this information at the Cabinet meeting on the 24th. The ministry noted that "the demand for accurate positioning information and real-time marine information systems is increasing to respond to the Fourth Industrial Revolution and climate change," explaining the background of the initiative.

According to the ministry, the high-precision positioning service developed last year corrected the GPS positioning error from the previous 10 m to 5 cm. The service is provided through broadcasting and mobile communication networks, and can be utilized in various advanced mobility applications. By using this service, it is possible to place containers at precise locations in smart ports or for agricultural drones to accurately differentiate between furrows and ridges when spraying pesticides.

The ministry plans to establish a 'complementary service' system to provide positioning information reliably in emergencies. This is a measure to respond to North Korea's GPS signal interference, and the government will prioritize supplying receivers to ships navigating in the western sea border area to prevent accidents.

There are plans to utilize existing marine buoys, which previously only served as route guidance, to collect various information, including marine weather, environment, and ecology. The collected information will be transmitted in real time to both land and vessels through smart navigation signs, and marine Internet of Things (IoT) wireless communication technology and communication networks will also be developed for this purpose.

In addition, the ministry will establish an information management system to process and reproduce the collected marine information and an information service center to operate it, providing information through a website and an app to be used in ship navigation, fishing activities, climate change research, and marine leisure activities.

The ministry expects that the advancement of this service will expand the user base to not only ship operators but also the general public enjoying marine leisure and researchers. The ministry forecasts that the current number of about 70,000 users will increase to 1.1 million by 2029.

The ministry will also introduce new navigation signs to guide maritime and underwater obstacles. By attaching signs to accident ships or lost containers, it will facilitate quick accident handling and provide locations to other vessels, helping to prevent secondary accidents.

International cooperation will also be strengthened. The ministry is pushing to attract the 'International Cooperation Center' under the International Association of Lighthouse Authorities. It aims to establish a marine information collection and sharing system in the country, facilitating its use for ship navigation and climate change response. Through the international standardization of the positioning information system, it plans to support the overseas expansion of domestic corporations.

In addition, there are plans to introduce three navigation vessels equipped with specialized structures and equipment for marine operations and specialized equipment such as drones to enhance the efficiency and safety of facility management.

A ministry official stated, "We will promote the policy without setbacks to expand the market size of the marine information industry based on navigation information facilities from the current 21 trillion won to 27 trillion won."