China and South Korea decided to together utilize their scientific equipments and facilities in the Antarctic to conduct joint research in the region, the South Korean government said Friday.

"The two sides agreed to pursue a joint survey of the sea in the polar region, using the two countries' icebreakers and to set up a wide observation system in the Antarctic, using the countries ' research stations there," the Yonhap news agency quoted the South Korean Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries as saying.

The two countries reached the agreement at the 12th bilateral talks on maritime cooperation in Beijing on Thursday, the ministry said in a press release.

China launched its first expedition to the Antarctic in 1984 and has already established three research stations, namely the Changcheng Station, Zhongshan Station and Kunlun Station.

South Korea currently operates the King Sejong Station in the western part of the Antarctic and will complete the construction of the Jangbogo Station in southeastern part in March 2014.

The ministry said cooperation between the two countries will enable both sides to monitor climate change and other relevant issues in most parts of the Antarctic.

"In the area of resources on ocean floors, the two countries agreed to further strengthen their cooperation to jointly deal with the move by the International Seabed Authority to establish regulations on sea mining and to prepare for the start of commercial mining of ocean resources," the ministry said.

The two sides also agreed to strengthen cooperation in developing manned or unmanned deep submergence research or rescue vehicles.