Gimje City Seeks to Secure Lead in Cruise and Food Logistics Ahead of Saemangeum New Port Opening

Developing the agricultural, life sciences and food industries into a hub for supplying provisions to ships and cold-chain logistics
Preparing for two berths at Saemangeum New Port to open in 2027... Basic plan to be finalized by year-end

With the first phase of Saemangeum New Port set to open in the second half of 2027, Gimje City is drawing up a blueprint to develop cruise tourism and the food logistics industry as new growth engines. The plan is to use the region's agricultural, life sciences and food industry base to supply provisions for cruise ships and establish logistics functions in the port's hinterland.

Exterior of Gimje City Hall.

On November 10, Gimje City held a final briefing on the "Basic Plan for Fostering Gimje's Cruise and Logistics Industries," conducted by the Jeonbuk Research Institute, at the city hall situation room. Participants discussed ways to foster industries linked to Saemangeum New Port.

The core of the plan is to use Saemangeum New Port not merely as a passenger and cargo handling facility, but as an industrial hub that opens up new markets for the region's agricultural, fishery and processed food products. In particular, the plan focuses not only on tourism revenue from attracting cruise passengers, but also on connecting the local economy to the supply of provisions and other goods to ships, as well as logistics and distribution services.

At the briefing, port-related projects leveraging Gimje's agricultural, life sciences and food industries, as well as its inland fisheries, were presented as key priorities.

Specific proposals included supplying provisions and ship supplies for cruise vessels; establishing a cold chain to maintain the quality of agricultural, fishery and fresh food products; expanding logistics facilities in the port's hinterland; and developing tourism infrastructure to encourage cruise passengers to stay and spend in the region. The briefing also proposed connecting Saemangeum Smart Waterfront City with the Gimje area to enable tourism, logistics and the food industry to grow together.

Gimje City plans to link the Saemangeum Global Food Hub project with the cruise and logistics industries, leveraging the distinctive characteristics of the cruise industry.

Gimje Mayor Jeong Seong-ju said, "We will work to foster related industries, including the supply of cruise ship provisions and the expansion of logistics infrastructure, so that Gimje can grow into a logistics and tourism hub in the Yellow Sea region."

Saemangeum New Port, currently under construction in the waters off Saemangeum Seawall No. 2, is scheduled to open two berths in the second half of 2027.

According to the government plan, the port will have six berths capable of accommodating vessels of up to 50,000 tons by 2030, with three more berths to be added by 2040, bringing the total to nine.

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