Pohang City and Panstar Group Set Sail for the 'Yeongilman Port Cruise Era'

Pohang City and Panstar Group Sign Agreement to Boost Cruise Tourism at Yeongilman Port
Miracle to Operate as Home Port and Port of Call at Yeongilman Port, Running Cruises More Than Four Times a Year

Pohang City has joined forces with Panstar Group to revitalize the cruise tourism industry at Yeongilman Port.

On the 21st, the city signed a business agreement with Panstar Group at the City Hall External Cooperation Office. Both parties agreed to make efforts to operate more than four cruises a year, using Yeongilman Port as a home port and port of call.

Pohang City signed a business agreement with Panstar Group on the 21st at the City Hall External Cooperation Office. Lee Gangdeok, Mayor of Pohang, and Kim Hyungyeom, Chairman of Panstar Group (right). Photo by Pohang City

In addition, they pledged mutual cooperation to invigorate the local economy, including the creation of new jobs.

According to the agreement, Panstar Group's "Panstar Miracle," which will operate to and from Yeongilman Port, is a small to mid-sized luxury cruise ship with a gross tonnage of 22,000 tons and a maximum capacity of 355 passengers. The vessel departed from Busan Port on the 13th and is now operating regular Korea-Japan routes.

The operator is Panstar Line.com, a subsidiary of Panstar Group. The Panstar Miracle operates as a regular car ferry between Busan and Osaka for three weeks each month, and as an irregular cruise during the remaining week.

This operation model is a first in Korea. Starting in the second half of this year, irregular cruises are scheduled to connect Yeongilman Port in Pohang with cities on the western coast of Japan.

Kim Hyungyeom, Chairman of Panstar Group, said, "This is the first cruise ship designed and built in Korea, representing the culmination of the nation's maritime and shipbuilding technology. We will strive to ensure that both the Panstar Miracle and Pohang City's cruise tourism industry grow together."

Mayor Lee Gangdeok stated, "By strengthening mutual cooperation with Panstar Group, which leads the domestic maritime passenger transport industry with its extensive experience in cruise and car ferry operations, we will create synergy. We will provide full administrative support to help Pohang emerge as a key city in the East Coast cruise industry."

Since 2019, Pohang City has been working to attract cruises using Yeongilman Port as a home port. The city is pursuing a multifaceted promotional strategy, including domestic and international port sales and familiarization tours for cruise lines, to increase foreign cruise calls.

Currently, Pohang City is in discussions with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to expedite the completion of the Yeongilman Port International Passenger Terminal.

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