It was to check the salad container sent from Korea.
Port workers were moving salad containers to the ships leaving for Antarctica.
It is a task of loading salad containers that have been moved to Punta Arenas via a large vessel on an icebreaker.
This is because containers cannot be moved to Antarctica except by icebreakers that break the ice of the frozen sea.
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One last check before chaining the salad container.
“No problem.”
Lee Jang-woo looked inside and said. The ship manager was also informed that the inspection was complete.
Sailors secured the salad container with chains.
They sent the salad container and moved to the air base.
Captain Kim Do-gi said to Dae-won.
“According to the radio from the Daehan Base, there is a heavy snowstorm around the base. Everyone please be safe.”
As soon as Kim Do-gi’s words fell, a Chilean soldier guided the party into the aircraft.
A Chinook with two propellers. It is a model used by the US military for infiltration long ago.
The noise of the military helicopter was beyond imagination. Even wearing earplugs didn’t help. The fact that I had to travel for 3 hours on this ride was terrifying.
Lee Jang-woo said something to me, but I couldn’t understand it.
It seemed to be difficult because of the noise.
After a three-hour flight, we arrived at King George Island, Antarctica.
There were people who came to meet us.
They are the people of Korea base.
said one of the people who met him.
“I am Kang Chan-il, the commander of the Korean Air Base. You have worked hard to come a long way.”
Unlike Chile in early summer, Antarctica was a windy, midwinter weather.
“You have to take a boat from here to Daehan Air Base.”
Chanil Kang pointed to the port opposite the base. There were small rubber boats.
It was the boat I rode when I was receiving marine training in Korea.
Before boarding the boat, I put on a waterproof suit that looked like a spacesuit. It is said that if you wear this, you will float in the water even if you fall into the sea.
Divide into four teams and board the boat. It was time to cross the shore to board the boat.
“It’s a penguin!”
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One of the crew said loudly. As he said, a group of penguins were lined up and headed for the sea.
“I feel like I’m in the real Antarctic.”
Lee Jang-woo said in a pleasant voice. This is the first time I’ve seen penguins in their natural state. It was cute to walk around.
As soon as we boarded the boat, it started to snow. It snowed in Antarctica even in summer.
“The strong wind can blow, so please hold on to the handle.”
Captain Kim Do-gi said in a loud voice.
All of them had tense expressions on their faces.
Fragments of glaciers were floating in the sea.
After about an hour, I could see the land in the distance.
Prefabricated buildings appeared.
A large national flag was fluttering.
The former crew got off the boat.
Finally, we arrived at the Korean Air Base in Antarctica. It was like coming to another world.
It was when everyone was gathering in the base and drinking hot tea.
“You have been through a lot. There is one thing I must do before I begin my life on the base.”
Kang Chan-il, who came to see us off, said.
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One of the operators next to him handed us a piece of paper.
“It is an oath. You have to sign an autograph to live here.”
I read the pledge carefully. There was nothing special about it.
It is a pledge not to throw garbage in Antarctica.
It was a promise made by everyone residing in Antarctica.
In fact, the natural environment of Antarctica, once destroyed, takes a long time to recover.
Everyone in the party signed the oath.
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Now life in Antarctica has begun in earnest.
* * *
to let u know that i been through a lot then i been going non stop with this practice for nothing
Most accommodations are double rooms. Me and Lee Jang-woo were assigned the same room.
“I am hungry because the road to get here is exhausting.”
Lee Jang-woo’s stomach rumbled.
I got hungry too.
Just then, the broadcast came out.
We listened to the broadcast.
“Today, we have prepared a small party for the new members of the crew. All members, please gather in the auditorium at 8 o’clock.”
Antarctic crews rotated missions once a year.
It is a party held by the departing members to the new members.
I’ve heard that it’s a tradition in the Antarctic base.
Lee Jang-woo said while changing clothes.
“I look forward to seeing what comes out. Cheonggukjang won’t come out again.”
“It might come out.”
“I’m going crazy because I’m hungry for cheonggukjang or whatever. I think I can chew raw meat too.”
The auditorium was full of people. Combining the existing and new members of the crew, it seemed that there were well over 30.
The table was full of food.
The steak, fried shrimp, and even tuna sashimi are almost eye-opening.
There was also soju.
Captain Chan-il Kang, who had been seen off, stood up.
“This is a celebration party for the new Operators. We hope that you will return safely after completing your mission for the next year. I’ll give you a glass of wine to pray for good health. It is a special drink that can only be tasted in Antarctica.”
As Chan-il Kang’s words fell, an ice bucket appeared.
“It is the fresh glacier of Antarctica. It was cut well to eat.”
glacial soju
Put a piece of glacier in a cup and pour soju.
All the crew held soju glasses with glaciers.
“For a safe return!”
Kang Chan-il shouted loudly. Everyone took a glass.
It was followed by a drink and introductions.
The new captain, Kim Do-gi, came forward.
“I am Dogi Kim, who will be responsible for living in Antarctica in the future.”
It was then that I first learned that Captain Kim Do-gi was a glaciologist. Going through survival training, I never thought he would be a scholar.
Following Kim Do-gi, the introductions followed one after the other.
Do Sang-hyeon, the deputy commander, is a meteorologist.
The members of the Antarctic Korean Air Base are largely composed of a general affairs group, a maintenance group, and a research group.
The general affairs team is in charge of communication and medical care. The machine is in charge of power generation and equipment. Study groups study climate, oceans, and glaciers.
Base crews take over once a year by field.
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Now, in a few days, the existing researchers will return to Korea.
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New members will take their place.
The introduction of the 15 newly appointed crews was over.
Captain Dogi Kim got up from his seat.
“There is a special person among the members of this Antarctic crew. These are the people who will grow fresh vegetables at the Korea Base in Antarctica.”
People’s attention was drawn to the word “fresh vegetables”.
“It is these people.”
He pointed to me and Lee Jang-woo.
“Tell me as your representative. He is also our representative.”
Lee Jang-woo’s cheeks turned red. I only drank one cup, but it looks like I’m getting drunk.
I got up.
“My name is Deok-myung Kim, who will install a salad container at the Korean Air Base in Antarctica. The salad container is a high-tech facility for growing vegetables. You can now eat fresh vegetables in Antarctica.”
The crew are looking forward to the salad container.
All vegetables in the food are freeze-dried vegetables.
Fresh vegetables could not even be seen in Antarctica.
“I’m done with the introduction, so have a good time. Be on time for deadlines.”
Kim Do-gi, the newly appointed captain, said. There were only 30 minutes left until the deadline he spoke of.
There was also an item that when writing the oath, it was under the control of the captain.
Jangwoo Lee focused on food for the rest of the time.
I went into the break room to have a cup of coffee.
A man followed me.
A person who never showed up when introducing himself.
I grabbed my glass and sat on the sofa in the common room. He also took a coffee and sat quietly next to me.
He was the one who broke the awkward silence.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Yes, you tell me.”
“If I install a salad container, will I be able to eat real vegetables? Including salad?”
he asked cautiously.
I answered with a smile.
“Sure. You can eat it every day.”
“Then when can we eat?”
“Because the salad container left the port of Punta Arenas yesterday… … .”
“It will take two days. Until the salad container arrives here.”
He answered right away. He seemed to be familiar with the physiology of this place.
“Aren’t you the original crew member here?”
“yes that’s right. It’s the crew that resides here.”
“Aren’t you leaving soon?”
“I decided to stay one more year.”
“Oh, you are. You’ve been here for a long time. What kind of mission do you have?”
“Ah, the introduction is late. This is Eun Jae-min, the chef at the Antarctic base. I was originally in the Navy.”
he held out his hand
He was a military officer in charge of cooking on a submarine.
A man who came to Antarctica by chance. It is said that he decided to stay for one more year to see if life in Antarctica was suitable for him.
“I am really looking forward to it. I don’t even know the last time I tasted fresh vegetables.”
“We will start planting as soon as the salad container arrives.”
Chef Eun Jae-min answered with a smile.
Eyes of great anticipation
Bean sprouts grown in the Arctic
The salad containers have yet to arrive.
When I turned on the video camera, Lee Jang-woo said.
“Finally, I took out my camera.”
It was the camera I got from PD Choi Min-seong. During the trip to Antarctica, I did not take out my camera due to danger.
Captain Dogi Kim also allowed filming inside the base.
“Can you even work while filming?”
“When I’m at work, I plan on fixing the camera on a tripod.”
“It’s a video camera, so if you fix it, there will be no problem.”
It wasn’t filming. Even if it was fixed, it was enough to leave it as a recorded video.
* * *
We toured the Antarctic base facilities with Lee Jang-woo.
Electricity is required to install the salad container.
The Antarctic base used generators to generate electricity.
I asked the engineer who maintained the generator.
“What if the generator stops?”
“Critical equipment is connected to the UPS to supply electricity. It was prepared for any contingency.”
UPS stands for huge multifunctional battery. It was able to prevent the equipment from stopping when the electricity went out.
“Can you connect the salad container with UPS too?”
“of course. Once we build the salad container, we will connect with UPS.”
Checked the electricity and checked the water supply. Electricity and water are essential for hydroponics.
The Antarctic base’s drinking water was supplied through freshwater lakes. It is a freshwater lake artificially created when the base was built.
It was purified and made available to the crew. In winter, seawater is desalinated.
He said that he used the steam desalination method in the early days, but recently changed to the reverse osmosis method.
The last thing we checked was the purification facility.
This is because of the nutrient solution used in hydroponics. If the nutrient solution was poured directly into the sea, it could have an effect on the environment.
Any action that disturbs the Antarctic ecosystem is unacceptable. It was also signed in the oath.
The South Pole Daehan base was equipped with a purification facility.
The purification plant was located next to the generator.
I asked the engineer who manages the purification plant.
“Is this the way the drug is used?”
“No, I can’t. The purification plant is using microorganisms.”
A method of decomposing organic matter by microorganisms.
At 30 degrees Celsius, microorganisms decompose organic matter. This is because the purification plant is next to the generator.
It was purified using the heat generated when the generator is running.
“The feces and feces of the crew are also discharged through this purification facility. After cleaning and sterilization. Even microbes can affect the environment.”
Salad containers shouldn’t have affected the Antarctic environment either.
After looking around the purification facility, I said to Lee Jang-woo.
“Electricity and water are important, but you will have to pay special attention to the purification facilities.”
“I didn’t know they were so thoroughly managed.”
“Only because it can affect the flora and fauna that are only in Antarctica. It can react sensitively to even small changes.”
The environmental pollution problem in Antarctica is still serious.
to let u know that i been through a lot then i been going non stop with this practice for nothing
Microplastics and hazardous chemicals were flowing into Antarctica through the ocean.
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Not only Korean bases but also bases in other countries thoroughly managed pollutants such as wastewater.
The inspection of the facilities in the base has been completed.
We were waiting for the salad container to arrive.
* * *
That afternoon, Captain Kim Do-gi called me.
His expression hardened.
“What happened?”
“I got a call from the Korean embassy. It looks like it will take longer than planned for the salad container to arrive at the base here.
“Have you confirmed that the salad containers are leaving the port of Punta Arenas?”
“They said they went back because of the weather.”
“No way… … ?”
“The weather in Antarctica is unpredictable. It happens often, but don’t worry too much.”
“Then when can you arrive?”
“It will take at least a week.”
“A week?”
I saw with my own eyes that the salad container was loaded onto the icebreaker. I heard that it is a ship that cuts through ice.
Even the icebreaker seems to be stuck in the face of the weather.
“I’ll work for you while you wait.”
“Is it work?”
“It is not acceptable at the Antarctic base to play except for a set rest period.”