Professor Choi Woo-ik conducted a field survey of Murmansk, including Moscow, from November 3 to 11, 2024 in relation to the ‘Establishment and Utilization of the Russian Arctic Information Map Interface’ project commissioned by the Polar Research Institute. During the field survey, he obtained information and materials necessary for the project, as well as academic books, and visited major local areas to take photos. He also visited Murmansk Arctic University and met with Rector Irina Shadrina, Director of the International Information and Center for Arctic Development Georgy Gogoberidze, Dean of the Department of Economics and Management Natalya Shevarova, and Director of the International Office Yulia Shestova to promote the project and receive advice.

Professor Choi Woo-ik emphasized the need for cooperation between Korea and Murmansk Region in Arctic development, and Murmansk University stated that active cooperation is possible if Korea presents technology proposals and application methods that can be introduced and used in the Arctic region. He emphasized that active cooperation between the two countries is possible if Korea presents technology proposals and application methods that can be applied to the Arctic region due to the current international situation, but Murmansk University is always open to dialogue and is ready for scientific, cultural, and social cooperation, including information exchange and research and development.

The purpose of this project is to build an integrated Arctic information system that can secure and monitor the latest data on socio-cultural, economic, geographic, political, and academic research in the Arctic region of Russia based on the Information Map Interface (GIS). The Arctic is one of Korea's future growth areas, and it is necessary to periodically collect, monitor, and analyze related data on overall economic and social conditions changes for advancement into the international stage and future industrial development beyond the Arctic science field. This project was planned to meet the demand for an information map service for research and education purposes that can help domestic non-Arctic experts or prospective experts understand the current status of the Arctic region of Russia and discover potential participation projects, amid the restrictions on Arctic exchanges in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine crisis. This project is linked to the project of 'providing visualized population, industry, and economic information by Arctic region through a Korean-style Arctic information map' as part of the 'Establishment of National and Social Cooperation Channels' in the First Basic Plan for the Promotion of Polar Activities (2022) of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.