Vice Minister Kim Seong-beom of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said on the 24th, 'We need to make the Arctic route a new driving force for our economy.'
On the same day, Vice Minister Kim presided over the kick-off meeting of the 'Arctic Route Task Force' in the large conference room of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries in Sejong City, stating that 'we must have a firm commitment to the Arctic route.'
The Arctic route is a maritime path revealed by the melting of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean, which incurs lower logistics costs compared to existing routes, prompting countries with global ports to actively pioneer it. The meeting included participants from Arctic Route Task Force member countries, experts from the Korea Maritime Institute, and the Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI).
Vice Minister Kim emphasized that 'we must foster development hubs for the Arctic route' and added, 'a national control tower for Arctic route development must also be established.'
Meanwhile, he reviewed a report on plans to foster the Arctic route entry hub, listened to updates on Arctic sea ice and the status of the Arctic route, and assessed operational plans that include action items.