Strengthening Asia's voices in ocean conservation
Who we are
DearOcean is a Seoul-based ocean think tank specialising in ocean literacy education, sustainable seafood research, seafood and ocean ESG consultancy, programme planning and the organisation of seminars.
At the heart of our work is education: helping people understand how the ocean sustains our lives and how their choices shape its future. Working with educational institutions, businesses, civil society and the public sector, we combine research and market insight with consultancy, programme planning and seminars to build a sustainable, transparent and accountable seafood system from Korea and Asia to the world.
“My mum guards the ocean!”
One day at school, as the children were sharing what their parents do, my little daughter proudly announced, “My mum guards the ocean!” I can only imagine the puzzled faces. A lifeguard? A pirate hunter? Honestly, she wasn’t far off, and I have never forgotten it.
My career has taken me from the Republic of Korea Navy to Korea's Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and on to international organisations working to bring about legal, ethical and responsible fisheries. I am a UNESCO Ocean Expert whose work spans all kinds of fields for a healthy ocean. In many of those rooms, I was one of only a few Asian women at the table, even though so much of the ocean's story unfolds in Asia.
The ocean has always been beside me: beautiful, deep and vast. I want my children, and every child, to feel that wonder and to understand how the fish on our plates connects us to the sea. That is why I started DearOcean, and why education is at the heart of everything we do. Through learning, research and partnership, we work towards a healthy ocean and a seafood system that is sustainable, transparent and accountable, and towards stronger Asian voices in ocean conservation.
There is a seat for you at the table.
