1. Reason for Amendment

The Weather Act was amended (Act No. 19225; promulgated on February 14, 2023; to be enforced on February 15, 2024) to newly insert grounds on the establishment and operation of a climate change observation network and prescribe other legal grounds to strengthen climate change monitoring, subcategorize forecasts and severe weather alerts, newly insert matters concerning the qualification, duties, and education of forecasters who produce forecasts and special weather alerts, and otherwise prescribe details on forecasting and special weather alert duties in general. Accordingly, this Amendment specifies the work experience and types of national technical qualifications in the meteorological field required in order to be qualified as a forecaster, prescribes the frequency of specialized education required for forecasters to perform their duties, and stipulates other matters delegated by the Act and matters necessary for the enforcement thereof. It also introduces fee exemptions or reductions for the provision of weather information in the same manner as the certification of meteorological phenomena so as to reduce the financial burden on small and medium enterprises, venture businesses, startups, and other users of large volumes of weather information.

2. Major Provisions

A. Prescribe that the Administrator of the Korea Meteorological Administration shall develop numerical prediction models and build super computers, etc., in order to develop and operate numerical prediction systems (Article 2-2 newly inserted).

B. Specify the qualification requirements for forecasters (Article 2-3 newly inserted).

1) Specify that the work experience required in order to be qualified as a forecaster shall be either at least one year of forecasting-related shift work experience at the Korea Meteorological Administration, or at least three years of work experience in weather forecasting at the Korea Meteorological Administration or another institution.

2) Specify that the type of national technical qualification in the meteorological field required in order to be qualified as a forecaster shall be qualification for a professional engineer weather forecaster, engineer meteorology, or forensic meteorologist.

C. Prescribe that the national meteorological center shall monitor the actual conditions of meteorological phenomena or produce forecasts and severe weather alerts, and that it may collaborate with disaster-related officers from relevant institutions when necessary (Article 2-4 newly inserted).

D. Allow the administrator of the Korea Meteorological Administration to request information on disaster damages, regional characteristics, etc., from the heads of central administrative agencies and local governments to prevent disasters caused by meteorological phenomena, and to provide assistance in terms of technology, equipment, staff, etc. (Article 4-3 newly inserted). 

E. Prescribe the content of basic education and specialized education for forecasters, and prescribe matters concerning specialized education for persons in charge of climate change-related duties (Article 14-3 newly inserted, Article 15).

F. Newly insert grounds to waive or reduce weather information provision fees, and specify the eligibility therefor (Article 17-2).