The Korea Meteorological Administration will operate a Global Information System Center to streamline the collection of weather information.

The Geneva-based World Meteorological Organization (WMO) approved the operation of the center by the Korean weather agency during a meeting of executive directors on Tuesday.

The center will allow for the collection and exchange of weather-related data in real time instead of indirectly securing data from other countries through cooperation with Japan and China.

A weather agency official said the WMO approved the operation of the center in Seoul after comprehensively reviewing the Korea Meteorological Administration’s level of management and security.