In this study, a brief overview on a WMO/WWRP program - The Observing System Research and Predictability Experiment (THORPEX) and discussions on perspectives and potential benefits of Asian countries are provided. THORPEX is aimed at accelerating improvements in the accuracy of 1 to 14-day high-impact weather forecasts with research objectives of: 1) predictability and dynamical processes; 2) observing systems; 3) data assimilation and observing strategies; and 4) societal and economic applications. Direct benefits of Asian countries from THORPEX include improvement of: 1) forecast skills in global models, which exerts positive impact on mesoscale forecasts; 2) typhoon forecasts through dropwindsonde observations; and 3) forecast skills for high-impact weather systems via increased observations in neighboring countries. Various indirect benefits for scientific researches are also discussed. Extensive adaptive observation studies are recommended for all high-impact weather systems coming into the Korean peninsula, and enhancement of observations in the highly sensitive regions for the forecast error growth is required to improve forecast skills in the peninsula, possibly through international collaborations with neighboring countries.