Participation in Seminar on Gyeongnam's Response Measures for Fostering an Arctic Route Base
Commissioner Park Seongho: "Arctic Route Task Force to Be Established and Operated in September"
Busan-Jinhae Free Economic Zone Authority (Commissioner Park Seongho) has launched efforts to develop a strategy for establishing a hub along the Arctic shipping route.
On August 12, the authority announced that it participated in the "Seminar on Gyeongnam's Response Measures for Fostering an Arctic Route Base," held at the Gyeongnam Research Institute, where it shared strategic directions for the Southeastern maritime economic zone in preparation for the era of the Arctic shipping route.
The seminar was attended by key stakeholders, including BJFEZ Commissioner Park Seongho, Gyeongsangnam-do Vice Governor Park Myunggyun, Gyeongsangnam-do Assembly Member Park Dongcheol, Gyeongnam Research Institute President Oh Dongho, Yeongsan University Professor Kim Kitae, and more than 40 shipping and logistics experts, who discussed strategies for responding to the Arctic shipping route from multiple perspectives.
Participants agreed that the Arctic shipping route is drawing attention as an eco-friendly and highly efficient logistics alternative to address climate crisis and geopolitical risks, and emphasized that a strategic response is needed not only for route development but also across industries and systems as a whole.
It was also highlighted that the relocation of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to Busan serves as a decisive turning point for strengthening the execution of maritime-focused policies. There was a growing consensus that, beyond the Seoul metropolitan-centered policy framework, the Busan-Jinhae region-where industry and field operations converge-should become the platform for driving these strategies.
Commissioner Park Seongho stated at the seminar, "The Arctic shipping route is not just a shortcut, but a new direction and the center of the future," adding, "BJFEZ is a prepared platform capable of accommodating high value-added industries such as energy and resource logistics, as well as polar-specialized industries."
BJFEZ is currently seeking strategic response measures to adapt to changes in the maritime industry environment, such as the opening of the Arctic shipping route and the relocation of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to Busan. To comprehensively review related tasks-including establishing a logistics hub, fostering polar-specialized industries, and expanding digital infrastructure-BJFEZ plans to establish and operate an Arctic Route Task Force in September.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
