In conjunction with the International Exposition Yeosu Korea 2012, the 4th NOWPAP joint oil spill exercise was conducted on 18 May. Jointly organized by Korea Coast Guard and China Maritime Safety Administration under the NOWPAP Regional Oil Spill Contingency Plan, with participation of about 30 vessels, boats and aircrafts, the exercise demonstrated the preparedness of NOWPAP member states to major oil spills at sea. Three previous NOWPAP joint oil spill exercises have been conducted in Russia, China and Japan respectively since 2006.
Implementation of NOWPAP contributes to the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities (GPA) in the Northwest Pacific region.