KODC is the only authorized national oceanographic data center in Korea. The center was established in 1974, and the National Institute of Fisheries Science (NIFS) has been operating the center since 1981. KODC is dedicated to the acquisition, processing, quality control, archiving, analysis, and dissemination of oceanographic data and information. The center also participates in international and domestic cooperation for oceanographic data exchange, and serves as the focal point for IODE (Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange) of IOC (Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission). KODC also acts as the Korea National Delayed Mode Data Base (DMDB) for NEAR-GOOS (North East Asia Regional Global Ocean Observing System).