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Expedition Korea

Expedition Korea

Simon Osborne and Marin Medak

On February 15th, 2011 Kokatat Ambassador Simon Osborne and Marin Medak will set off with a goal to become the first kayakers to paddle the coast of South Korea. With the current political situation this is set to be an interesting challenge. Due to other commitments the expedition will depart in the middle of winter which will see average temperatures of below zero. The northerly winds blow in from Siberia making the wind chill a major factor.

South Korea has an amazing diverse coastline with sandy beaches, dramatic cliffs, and remote islands. The expedition should take between 4-6 weeks and cover over 650NM (1200km). Through this expedition, the team hopes to gain insight into a fascinating culture and environment.

Simon, who runs Sea Kayaking Cornwall with Jeff Allen has completed major expeditions including a solo circumnavigation of Ireland, a circumnavigation of Great Britain and a 4 month Madagascan expedition.

“With the cold, wintery climate and a completely new culture this is set to be one of my greatest challenges to date” says Simon.

On November 23rd 2010, following a South Korean live artillery firing exercise, the North Korea (DPRK) launched an artillery attack against Yeonpyeong Island, killing 4 people. Currently tensions are high in the area and so the team will have to take this into account as they progress along the coastline.