President Lee Jae-myung visited Busan on Tuesday and pledged to advance shipping and port businesses as national strategic industries, saying he would "accelerate Korea's leap toward becoming the maritime power that President Kim Young-sam dreamed of." The government also unveiled a concrete roadmap centered on pioneering the Arctic shipping route and fostering a southern maritime capital region, starting with a round-trip pilot voyage between Busan and Rotterdam in the second half of this year and opening a regular Korea-Europe route by 2030.
Speaking at the 31st Day of the Sea ceremony held at Korea Maritime and Ocean University in Busan's Yeongdo District, President Lee said, "We will develop the southeastern region into a 'southern maritime capital region.'" He added, "We will expand logistics infrastructure connecting ports, airports, railways, and roads, and build a maritime tourism belt encompassing the entire southern coast to grow it into a 'maritime economic zone' that competes with the world."
President Lee also highlighted that the launch of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries was an achievement of the Kim Young-sam administration. "The launch of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries by the Kim Young-sam government in 1996 was an expression of a strong will to elevate Korea into a maritime power," President Lee said. "The people's sovereignty government will lead a new maritime order."
President Lee also said, "We will open a full-fledged Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries era in Busan." He pledged, "We will swiftly establish the maritime court, for which legislation has been completed, along with shipping companies and related public institutions, and rapidly complete a maritime cluster that includes the Southeastern Region Investment Corporation as soon as National Assembly discussions conclude."
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Hwang Jong-woo also unveiled plans to relocate companies and public institutions in a public report the same day. "Following HMM, we will attract additional shipping and logistics companies, and beginning next year, we will start relocating maritime and fisheries public institutions," Hwang said. "We will establish the Southeastern Region Investment Corporation in 2027 and the International Maritime and Commercial Court in 2028."
As the first step in pioneering the Arctic shipping route, a round-trip pilot voyage between Busan and Rotterdam, the Netherlands, will begin in the second half of this year. "Starting with the Busan-Rotterdam pilot voyage, we will open a regular Korea-Europe service route in 2030," Hwang said. "We will expand the national icebreaker fleet, train polar specialists, develop Jinhae New Port, and build eco-friendly fuel infrastructure." The government also plans to develop Busan into an Asian logistics hub by attracting multimodal cargo and pursuing "tri-port" linked development connecting ports, airports, and railways.
Meanwhile, the day before, President Lee chaired a Future Defense Strategy Committee meeting in Jinhae District of Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, before moving to Busan, where he visited Jagalchi Market, Busan's representative traditional market, with first lady Kim Hye-kyung. They had dinner there while reviewing the local economy and engaging with citizens. On Tuesday as well, the presidential couple visited Busan's Namhang Market after the Day of the Sea ceremony, meeting face-to-face with residents and continuing their two-day tour of the Busan and South Gyeongsang (PK) region.
