"Opening the Era of the Arctic Sea Route"... Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries Launches First Busan-Europe Pilot Voyage [Briefing]

Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries Reports to President

Round-trip Trial Voyage Planned for August-September

Laying the Groundwork for Regular Express Cargo Service

Fostering AI Maritime Supply Chains and Smart Ports

Accelerating the Creation of the Maritime Metropolitan Area Centered on Busan

Yonhap News

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries will pilot an Arctic Sea Route operation connecting Busan and Europe in the second half of this year. The plan is to foster the Arctic Sea Route as a future engine of growth, establish a maritime supply chain management system utilizing artificial intelligence (AI), and accelerate the creation of a 'maritime metropolitan area' with Busan as its hub.

Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Hwang Jongwoo reported these core plans for the second half of the year to President Lee Jaemyung on July 16, 2026.

The ministry will first proceed with a round-trip trial voyage along the Arctic Sea Route between Busan and Europe in August or September. The full duration of the voyage is expected to be 40 to 45 days. Through this voyage, the government aims to acquire experience in navigating the Arctic Ocean and gather logistics data, as well as assess the potential for launching a regular express cargo service connecting Korea and Europe in the future.

Preparations for establishing the Arctic Sea Route on a permanent basis will include developing core infrastructure and training professionals. Busan Port will be developed as a logistics hub for container cargo, while Ulsan Port will focus on energy freight and also serve as a logistics hub for the Arctic. The ministry will also train ship officers with polar navigation experience, develop core technologies for domestically produced icebreaking container ships, and set up a dedicated integrated support center for the Arctic Sea Route.

AI-driven transformation of the maritime and fisheries sector was also identified as a core initiative for the second half of the year. The ministry will break ground on a physical AI-based smart port testbed at Gwangyang Port and start developing key technologies for fully unmanned autonomous ships. Investments in AI-powered aquaculture technology and fishing vessel design platforms will also be ramped up. The ministry's goal is to raise Korea's maritime and fisheries AI technology—which is currently evaluated at 55-80% of the U.S. level—and nurture leading sectors such as smart ports and autonomous ships.

AI technology will also be leveraged to enhance public safety and marine environment management. An AI platform will be introduced to predict the risk of rip currents at beaches and prevent accidents, and the number of marine litter collection robots operating on water will be increased from the current 12 to 16 units. For the nearly 30,000 'single-operator fishing vessels,' AI-driven accident type analysis and rescue request systems will be established.

In light of the Middle East crisis, the maritime supply chain crisis response system will be overhauled. The ministry will support the safe evacuation of the last two Korean ships remaining in the Strait of Hormuz and will also establish an 'AI maritime supply chain early warning system' to prepare for similar crises in the future. This system will utilize ship operation, port, and logistics data to identify and predict risk factors early and issue warnings.

The number of national essential vessels, designated to transport items critical to the national economy and defense during emergencies, will be gradually increased from the current 88 ships. Drawing on experience from supporting the withdrawal of 24 out of 26 Korean ships from the Strait of Hormuz and redirecting 13 crude oil carriers to alternative routes in the Red Sea during the first half, the ministry plans to maintain a crisis response posture at all times.

Efforts to develop the maritime metropolitan zone, centered around Busan, Ulsan, and South Gyeongsang Province, will also be accelerated. In August, the ministry will select the site for the new Busan government complex and establish a provisional 'Scaling Up Fund' worth 100 billion won to attract and support the growth of maritime-related companies. A maritime metropolitan zone policy council, including central and local governments as well as local businesses, will be launched in August as well.

A marine cluster—converging administrative, financial, educational, and industrial functions—will be built on the redeveloped North Port site in Busan. Support will be provided for Southeast region shipbuilding and equipment companies to enter Southeast Asia's offshore plant markets. There are also plans for pilot projects and the establishment of operating schemes for supplying fuel to ultra-large ammonia-powered ships and green shipping routes in Busan and Ulsan Ports.

Development of regional hub ports will continue. The Saemangeum New Port in North Jeolla will open in the second half, and construction of the access road to the hinterland area at Mokpo Port will be completed. Full-scale redevelopment will begin for the 1 and 8 berths of the inner port at Incheon Port. By linking marine tourism resources in the southeast and southwest, the ministry aims to create a southern coastal stay-type tourism belt. A 'marine lifestyle zone specialized fund' will also be created to support startups in coastal areas.

All available measures will be mobilized to stabilize seafood prices. For mackerel, which is widely consumed by the public, a 'Mackerel Special Envoy' will be dispatched to diversify import sources, and the tariff rate will be lowered from the current 10% to 0%. For other key seafood such as hairtail, squid, and seaweed, the ministry will temporarily ease regulations and expand fishing and aquaculture licenses in order to increase supply.

Maritime safety management will also be strengthened. Since the mandatory wearing of life jackets for all crew on fishing boats went into effect on July 1, on-site guidance and inspections will be increased. During the period from October to December, when illegal fishing is concentrated, joint crackdowns involving the coast guard, military, and other relevant authorities will be carried out, and illegal fishing equipment installed in border zones such as the Yeonpyeong fishing grounds will be removed. At the Korea-China Joint Fisheries Committee in September, the Korean government plans to request stronger cooperation from China in cracking down on illegal fishing.

Measures to secure young manpower are also included. New industry-linked academic majors will be created with leading companies, and companies that hire young Korean ship officers will receive support to cover part of the wage gap with foreign seafarers. Five 'Youth Maritime Villages'—comprehensive hubs for housing, jobs, and community life—will be established, and a 'Future Youth Enterprise Fund' will be launched to support young people starting businesses in the fisheries sector. The government will also subsidize part of the vessel rental fees and fishing gear purchases for young people entering the fishing industry.

Minister Hwang said, "The first half of this year laid the foundation for a major transformation and leap forward in the maritime and fisheries sector. From the second half onward, we will dedicate our utmost efforts to innovating the coasts and seas so that major progress can be achieved and Korea can become a world-leading maritime powerhouse."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.