Lee Visits HMM's Busan Headquarters, Encourages Employees: "Satisfaction Must Be High"

Attends HMM Headquarters Unveiling Ceremony, Celebrates Start of Busan Era
Inspects Panstar Acro, Reviews North Port Development Plans
Visits North Port Waterfront Park, Connects with Visitors Who Came to See "Bukangi"

President Lee Jae-myeong visited HMM, the country's largest shipping company, at its new headquarters in Busan on Oct. 13, and checked on conditions for employees settling in the city. He also called for a stable working environment. He then inspected a vessel that had completed a trial voyage along the Arctic shipping route and reviewed operations and development plans for Busan North Port.

President Lee Jae-myeong unveils a plaque at HMM's Busan headquarters on the 13th. From left: Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Hwang Jongwoo, President Lee, HMM CEO Choi Wonhyuk, and Busan Mayor Jeon Jaesu. Oct. 13, 2026. Yonhap News Agency

Sung Ki-hong, senior secretary for public relations and communication at the Presidential Office, said in a written briefing that President Lee attended a ceremony in Busan welcoming the vessel after its trial voyage along the Arctic shipping route, followed by a plaque unveiling ceremony at HMM's Busan headquarters, where he celebrated the relocation and encouraged employees.

HMM is the country's largest shipping company and the world's eighth-largest. Relocating its headquarters to Busan is one of the key policy tasks of the Lee Jae-myeong Administration. After reaching a labor-management agreement at the end of April, the company prepared by securing office space and arranging for employees to move. It began full-scale operations in Busan on the previous day, Oct. 12.

About 50 people attended the ceremony, including HMM's CEO, union representatives and employees, as well as the minister of oceans and fisheries, the Busan mayor, the chairman of the Korea Development Bank and the president of the Korea Ocean Business Corporation. President Lee joined the attendees in removing the curtain covering HMM's symbolic structure, which had been installed at the company's Seoul headquarters, marking the start of the Busan era.

President Lee then toured the offices and asked employees who had relocated from Seoul whether they were experiencing any inconveniences in Busan and what difficulties they faced while settling in. Emphasizing that "employee satisfaction must be high," he showed particular interest in the working and living conditions of employees who had moved.

The government plans to strengthen Busan's role as a hub for the maritime industry through HMM's headquarters relocation. To this end, it is pursuing the relocation of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the headquarters of four shipping companies, as well as the establishment of a maritime court, while focusing its policy efforts on developing the southeastern region centered on Busan.

After visiting HMM, President Lee went to Pier 5 at Busan North Port to inspect the Panstar Akro, a vessel that had completed a trial voyage along the Arctic shipping route. He asked Captain Seo Myeong-won and the minister of oceans and fisheries about the vessel's structure and major equipment, and listened to explanations about port operations and development plans as he viewed the North Port area. During the inspection, crew members aboard the vessel also greeted President Lee.

President Lee then went to the North Port Waterfront Park and met residents who had come from around the country to see the shark Bukaengi. He shook hands with residents one by one and took commemorative photos with them. Some residents expressed their delight, saying, "We came to see Bukaengi and ended up seeing the president, too," the Presidential Office said.

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