On the 5th, Vice Minister Kim Seong-beom, acting Minister of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, said, "We will realize a great leap forward for the southeastern region in preparation for the era of the Northern Sea Route."
In a New Year's address at the kickoff ceremony that day, the Vice Minister said, "We will push a pilot operation of the Northern Sea Route from Busan to Rotterdam and swiftly establish a strategy to foster the maritime capital region."
In particular, regarding the opening of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) era in Busan, the Vice Minister said, "We will promote the creation of a maritime cluster that brings together corporations, public institutions, a maritime court, and the Southeast Region Investment Agency," adding, "We will develop Busan Port into the world's largest port, and through terminal operation efficiency and the provision of comprehensive port services, we will grow it into a global logistics hub."
Plans to strengthen shipping and port competitiveness based on eco-friendly and smart technologies were also unveiled. The official said, "To accelerate the transition to eco-friendly ships, we will secure diverse investment resources and fully develop core technologies for fully autonomous ships," adding, "To build supply systems for eco-friendly fuels such as LNG and methanol, we will establish bunkering facilities, create a pilot port in Gwangyang Port to demonstrate domestically developed smart port technologies, and expand them to ports nationwide."
Fisheries innovation was also presented as a key task. The official said, "While intensively reducing an excessive fishing fleet relative to fishery resources, we will draw up a plan to improve the fishing industry structure by converting aging vessels into larger and modernized ones," adding, "We will also adjust or abolish nearly half of unnecessary regulations, including easing restrictions on vessel size."
The official continued, "For aquaculture, we will identify new suitable sites in offshore waters with low temperatures and in the East Sea, and by fostering leading smart aquaculture zones, we will drive the smartification and scaling-up of aquaculture," adding, "We will also strengthen item-by-item competitiveness to further expand exports of seafood products and diversify export destinations."
In addition, the official said, "To support the spread of offshore wind power, we will designate and announce first-phase preliminary zones together with the climate ministry and develop a profit-sharing model involving fishers and the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives."
The official added, "Regarding Chinese illegal fishing vessels, we will shift our response from expulsion to seizure and strengthen economic sanctions and other measures to establish maritime sovereignty."