BPA Holds Meeting with Leading Shipping Companies to Boost Korea-Japan International Passenger Traffic

Busan Port Authority (BPA) held a meeting on the 14th with the 'Busan Port International Passenger Ship Association' (President Choo Yeonwoo), which is composed of representatives from each international passenger shipping company operating at Busan Port. During the meeting, they discussed mutual cooperation measures between BPA and the shipping companies following the establishment of the association, as well as strategies to revitalize Korea-Japan passenger routes.

Busan Port International Passenger Terminal.

The Korea-Japan passenger route recorded approximately 610,000 users in 2023 and reached 240,000 users in the first quarter of this year, overcoming the aftermath of the pandemic and showing a gradual recovery. With the addition of the Tsushima Izuhara route starting from April 23, 2024, further revitalization is expected.

As a result, there are now a total of five Korea-Japan international passenger routes operating from Busan Port: Fukuoka, Shimonoseki, Osaka, and Tsushima (Izuhara and Hitakatsu).

BPA President Kang Junseok listened to suggestions from the shipping companies and shared the current status of Korea-Japan passenger operations during the meeting.

President Kang Junseok stated, "As communication and collaboration between BPA and the shipping companies are crucial for a full recovery to pre-pandemic levels, the establishment of the association is expected to streamline communication channels, enabling smoother and faster cooperation. BPA will continue to make multifaceted efforts together with the shipping companies to revitalize Korea-Japan passenger traffic."

The Busan Port International Passenger Ship Association was established on April 12 with the aim of promoting exchange and cooperation among international passenger shipping companies and revitalizing the Korea-Japan route.

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