Yoon Votes Early in Busan... "Busan Port to Become World's Top Smart Port"

First Lady Kim Geon-hee Votes Without Accompanying
Attends Opening Ceremony of Busan Port New Terminal 7
"Will Establish Green Shipping Route Start and End Points"

President Yoon Suk-yeol is casting his ballot into the ballot box at the early voting station in Myeongji 1-dong Administrative Welfare Center, Gangseo-gu, Busan, on the 5th, when early voting for the 22nd National Assembly election began.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon Suk-yeol cast his early vote on the morning of the 5th, the first day of advance voting for the 22nd National Assembly election, at the Myeongji 1-dong Administrative Welfare Center in Gangseo-gu, Busan. Arriving at the center around 11:05 a.m., President Yoon voted without accompanying First Lady Kim Keon-hee.

Regarding early voting the day before, President Yoon stated in a written briefing, "Voting is not only an exercise of the sovereign's right but also a duty," and urged, "I hope everyone exercises their sovereignty without exception."

The Gangseo-gu district in Busan, where President Yoon voted early, is a newly subdivided area in this general election's constituency delimitation and is considered a key region within the Nakdong River belt. It is the place where former President Roh Moo-hyun ran and lost in the 16th National Assembly election, and as of the end of last year, it had the highest proportion of children nationwide at 21.3%, making it an area with many young voters.

In particular, this area is a fiercely contested battleground where Democratic Party candidate Byun Seong-wan and People Power Party candidate Kim Do-eup are engaged in a close race within the margin of error.

President Yoon Suk-yeol is delivering a commemorative speech at the opening ceremony of Pier 7 at Busan New Port, Jinhae-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongnam, on the 5th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

After casting his early vote, President Yoon attended the opening ceremony of Pier 7 at the New Busan Port held in Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do. In his commemorative speech, President Yoon stated, "To realize the vision of a Korean-style eco-friendly shipping solution, we will make Busan Port the starting and ending point of a carbon-free green shipping route."

New Busan Port Pier 7 is Korea's first fully automated port, introducing automation systems from ships to container transfer equipment outside the port, increasing productivity by up to 20% compared to existing ports and significantly reducing safety accidents.

President Yoon emphasized, "Busan Port has led South Korea's export economy as the world's 7th largest import-export port and the 2nd largest transshipment port. However, new changes and challenges await us, such as demands for eco-friendly fleets (the foundation built on inclined planes for shipbuilding, launching, and repairs) and the expansion of green shipping routes. We must greatly enhance Busan Port's competitiveness beyond its current level," adding, "We will decisively advance the port and shipping industry. We will make Busan Port a world-class smart port."

To this end, the government plans to expand connections with green ports worldwide, starting with the Korea-U.S. route and extending to Australia, Singapore, and others, while building port infrastructure such as eco-friendly bunkering. Additionally, there is a plan to develop Jinhae New Port into a smart mega port leading global logistics innovation by 2032.

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