Busan has formally entered the race to host the 2028 Fourth UN Ocean Conference, the forum that sets the direction of global ocean policy. A successful bid is expected to secure global maritime leadership while strengthening the competitiveness of the ocean industry and revitalizing the regional economy.
According to the city on Friday, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries will conduct an open application process for coastal metropolitan governments from the 8th to the 31st to select the host city for the Fourth UN Ocean Conference, to be held in Korea in 2028. The government plans to select the host by comprehensively evaluating international conference infrastructure, transportation accessibility, local governments' commitment to hosting, symbolism as a maritime city, and international competitiveness.
Busan is currently seen as a leading candidate within the maritime industry and political circles. The background cited includes the fact that Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo, during his tenure as Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, led national policy agendas such as the relocation of the ministry to Busan and the development of the Arctic route, and presented "Busan, Global Maritime Capital" as the administrative vision for the eighth popularly elected term.
The UN Ocean Conference is the most authoritative international meeting in the maritime field, involving 193 UN member states, international organizations, industry, and civil society. As a venue for discussing global ocean policy agendas and setting their direction, the host city is regarded as a hub of global maritime leadership. The Fourth Conference will be co-hosted by Korea and Chile, with a preparatory high-level meeting in Chile in 2027 followed by the main conference in Korea in June 2028.
Busan expects that hosting the conference will bring vitality to the tourism, accommodation, transportation, and MICE industries as heads of state, ministers, maritime experts, and civil society representatives from around the world visit the city. The city projects that global shipping, port, and energy companies as well as maritime finance institutions will take note of Busan on the occasion of the international conference, increasing investment consultations and new projects, and expanding jobs in new maritime industries. In particular, the city envisions using the conference as a decisive opportunity for Korea to take the lead on future new maritime agendas such as the Arctic route and ocean AI.
Busan is highlighting its experience and execution capacity on the international stage as strengths. At the 11th Our Ocean Conference (OOC) held last month in Mombasa, Kenya, the city announced its plan to "establish a smart aquaculture big data center" as a new commitment, presenting a vision that integrates data and artificial intelligence (AI) into the ocean industry.
In addition, following the successful hosting of the 10th Our Ocean Conference last year, the city is expanding its international maritime cooperation network by pursuing the hosting of the East Asian Seas Regional Governments Network (PNLG) forum this September and the 2027 general assembly of the International Association of Cities and Ports (AIVP).
Furthermore, the concentration of major institutions such as the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST), and the National Korea Maritime and Ocean University, along with world-class port infrastructure and MICE capabilities, is cited as a competitive advantage. Based on this, the city emphasizes that it is the optimal host to lead the realization of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG14).
"Hosting the Fourth UN Ocean Conference will be a turning point for Korea to leap forward as a global maritime powerhouse," a Busan city official said. "Through Busan's bid, we will turn the vision of a maritime capital connecting the world into reality."
