Korea Set to Host 2028 UN Ocean Conference, Minister Says

Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Jeon Jae-soo expressed confidence that South Korea's bid to host the 4th UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) in 2028 is virtually certain. He also said he expects Busan to transform into a "maritime capital" with infrastructure comparable to Rotterdam in the Netherlands following the ministry's relocation to the city.

"The possibility of hosting the UN Ocean Conference is effectively 100 percent," Jeon said at a press briefing at a restaurant in Manhattan, New York, on Tuesday local time. "When a maritime powerhouse like Korea makes a bid, most other countries withdraw."

Jeon noted that Korea was reelected to Category A (major shipping nations), the top-tier group at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), for the 13th consecutive term with overwhelming support at the IMO Assembly held in London last week. "Hosting the UN Ocean Conference on top of this means Korea has become a de facto maritime power and an advanced nation leading the maritime agenda," he said.

According to Jeon, Korea and Chile have already reached a preliminary agreement with the UN Special Envoy for the Ocean to co-host the 2028 conference. A resolution to formally designate the next host is scheduled for adoption at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. Jeon, who arrived in New York on Saturday, is scheduled to remain in the United States until Friday.

The UN Ocean Conference is the largest and highest-level international gathering in the maritime sector, held every three years since 2017. The conference primarily addresses issues including marine pollution prevention, ocean ecosystem conservation, sustainable fisheries, and maritime law and resource management. Following the convention of co-hosting between developed and emerging nations, Korea partnered with Chile, its first free trade agreement partner. If the bid succeeds, the 2027 preparatory meeting will be held in Chile, with the 2028 main conference taking place in Korea.

"The UN Ocean Conference attracts 15,000 participants from around the world, so whichever Korean city hosts it will see economic benefits," Jeon said. "More importantly, leading the agenda has significant implications as it directly connects to domestic industries."

Jeon also expressed high expectations for regional development from the ministry's relocation to Busan, which began Wednesday, including the establishment of a maritime court and strengthening of maritime finance. "The Special Act to Support the Relocation of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to Busan, which passed the National Assembly last month, codified Busan's legal status as a 'maritime capital,'" he explained. "Our role model is Rotterdam in the Netherlands, which has excellent transshipment systems, smart port facilities, an agricultural and fisheries processing cluster, and international airport connectivity."

Regarding concerns from ministry employees, Jeon said, "We have prepared measures covering education for employees' children, spouse job transfers, and housing loans. Some employees expressed difficulties initially, but everyone has settled in now."

Meanwhile, Jeon did not rule out the possibility of running for Busan mayor in next June's local elections. Jeon is currently the only National Assembly member from the Democratic Party of Korea with a constituency in Busan. If he runs in next year's local elections, he must resign from both his ministerial position and his National Assembly seat at least 90 days before the election. When asked about his intentions, he said, "Regardless of which minister takes over or which administration comes to power, the focus must be on making the maritime capital infrastructure irreversible," without completely denying his willingness to run.