"From Yeongilman to the Arctic"... Pohang City Hosts Yeongilman Port Arctic Route Specialization Strategy Forum at National Assembly

Mayor Lee Kangdeok Discusses Strategic Leap for Pohang Yeongilman Port in Preparation for the Arctic Route Era
First Local Government to Enact Ordinance on Operation and Support of the Arctic Route Activation Committee

On November 25, Pohang City successfully held the "Yeongilman Port Arctic Route Specialization Strategy Forum" in Seminar Room 1 of the National Assembly Members' Office Building.

Pohang City held the Yeongilman Port Arctic Route Specialization Strategy Forum at the National Assembly. Photo by Pohang City

This forum was organized to explore response strategies and specialized development directions for Yeongilman Port's Arctic route, at a time when the global maritime logistics system is undergoing a major transformation.

The forum was co-hosted by Assembly members Kim Jeongjae, Jeong Heeyong, and Lee Sanghwi, together with Pohang City and North Gyeongsang Province.

In particular, in line with the government's accelerated policy to promote the Arctic route, experts engaged in extensive discussions to identify specialized strategies for Yeongilman Port and to devise practical measures.

Experts from industry, academia, research, and government-including the Association of North East Asia Regional Governments, Pohang Yeongil New Port, POSCO Flow, Korea Ocean Business Corporation, Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering, Korea Maritime Institute, Korea Energy Economics Institute, Eurasia 21, and POSTECH-participated in large numbers to jointly explore policy directions for the Arctic route based on Pohang's industrial competitiveness.

Hong Hyun-ik, former Chancellor of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, delivered the keynote speech on the topic "Opportunities and Challenges of the Arctic Route, and Korea-Russia Relations." He explained the significance of the Arctic route from a diplomatic and security perspective and proposed establishing an "Arctic Shipping Information Center" in Pohang, leveraging the advanced R&D infrastructure centered around POSTECH.

Subsequent presentations outlined practical measures to strengthen Yeongilman Port's competitiveness in the era of the Arctic route.

Kim Hakso, former President of the Korea Maritime Institute and Director of the Global Logistics and Trade Research Institute at Chungwoon University, emphasized the importance of building strategic partnerships with Arctic coastal states, expanding port-inland railway and air logistics networks, and reinforcing related infrastructure such as the Yeongilman Trans-Sea Bridge in his presentation, "Korea's Arctic Ocean and Arctic Route Entry Strategies and Policy Directions."

Jung Youngdoo, Director of the Arctic Route Support Center at Korea Ocean Business Corporation, explained the national-level support system for the commercialization of the Arctic route and the potential for Yeongilman Port's participation in his presentation, "Korea Ocean Business Corporation's Comprehensive Support Plan for the Commercialization of the Arctic Route."

During the panel discussion, participants discussed the necessary conditions for Yeongilman Port to serve as the optimal forward base for the Arctic route and ways to link it with local industries. Attendees agreed that proactive measures by Yeongilman Port are essential at a time when the Arctic route market is expanding rapidly.

Mayor Lee Kangdeok stated, "This forum served to concretize strategic directions for Yeongilman Port to become a specialized port leading the Arctic route era, based on Pohang's strong industrial foundation," adding, "We will develop practical business strategies linked to government policy, drawing on expert opinions."

Yeongilman Port Arctic Route Specialization Strategy Forum.

Pohang City was the first local government in the country to institutionalize Arctic route policy by enacting the "Ordinance on the Operation and Support of the Arctic Route Activation Committee." In addition, Pohang is pushing ahead with the "Yeongilman Port Specialization Strategy Establishment and Implementation Service," aiming for completion in the second half of next year, and plans to continue building the foundation to strengthen Yeongilman Port's strategic status and secure international logistics competitiveness.

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