Former Jinhae Residents' Autonomy Committee Chairs: "Jinhae New Port Should Be a Candidate Site for Integrated Port Authority Headquarters"

Residents of Jinhae-gu, Changwon Special City, South Gyeongsang Province, have called for Jinhae New Port to be included among the candidate sites for the headquarters of the integrated Korea Port Authority.

On October 20, the Council of Former Chairs of Residents' Autonomy Committees in Jinhae-gu held a press conference at the city hall press center and said, "Jinhae New Port should be officially included as a candidate site for the Port Authority's headquarters, and an objective, transparent evaluation should be conducted."

They said, "If the four port authorities of Busan, Incheon, Ulsan, and Yeosu-Gwangyang are integrated into a single corporation tentatively called the Korea Port Authority, the location of its headquarters should be discussed from scratch."

"Creating a new organization while simply retaining the existing port authorities' headquarters locations does not accord with the logic of integration," they said. "The location of the integrated headquarters should be determined based on where the growth centers of South Korea's ports will be in the future."

Choi Chigwang (center), former chairman of the Council of Residents' Autonomy Committee Chairs in Jinhae-gu, Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, explains why Jinhae New Port should be included among the candidate sites for the headquarters of the integrated Korea Port Authority. [Photo by Lee Seryeong]

They added, "We must find a location from which to connect and oversee the ports of Incheon, which handles imports and exports for the Seoul metropolitan area; Ulsan, an industrial port; Yeosu-Gwangyang, which handles logistics for key industries; and Busan Port, with its global transshipment network, as part of a unified national port strategy."

They also emphasized, "Jinhae New Port will be directly connected to the existing new port, which already has a world-class container transshipment network, and is being built as a new port designed for deep water, ultra-large vessels, and full automation."

They explained, "The port is backed by a vast manufacturing base, including machinery and defense industries in Changwon and shipbuilding, automobiles, and parts industries in South Gyeongsang Province. Through links with port hinterland complexes, roads, railways, and airports, it can develop into an integrated logistics hub connecting sea, land, and air transport."

They said, "It has the space to grow as national investment in ports continues over the coming decades," adding, "A port that adapts to the future by upgrading existing facilities and one that must be built from the outset with the future in mind have different starting points." They cited this as a reason to include Jinhae New Port among the candidate sites for the headquarters.

The council said, "Jinhae New Port is a port where large vessels, automation, eco-friendly fuels, ship maintenance, manufacturing, hinterland logistics, railways, roads, airports, and international supply chains can all work together," adding, "The headquarters location should be decided based on the competitiveness of South Korea's ports over the next 30 years."

The council also urged South Gyeongsang Province lawmakers to submit to the National Assembly a joint proposal or statement supporting efforts to bring the integrated Korea Port Authority's headquarters to Jinhae New Port.

It called on the South Gyeongsang Provincial Council and Changwon City Council to promptly introduce and adopt a proposal urging the central government to locate the integrated Korea Port Authority's headquarters at Jinhae New Port.

It also called for the establishment of a province-wide joint response system involving South Gyeongsang Province, Changwon City, local lawmakers, local councils, and the port and logistics industries.

The council appealed, saying, "Busan North Port was once the center of Busan Port; today, the new port is the center of container logistics; and the next-generation port being built by South Korea is Jinhae New Port." It added, "Do not make a decision on the headquarters of the national port policy body that will guide South Korea for decades without including Jinhae New Port."

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