On the 5th, Vice Minister Kim Seong-beom, acting Minister of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, said, "In the process of pioneering the Arctic route, Russia sometimes requires permission to pass through its waters, and depending on sea conditions, we have to use (Russia's) icebreakers. As a participant in Western sanctions on Russia, it is difficult to neglect these issues."
At a press briefing held at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries press room in Sujeong-dong, Busan, on the same day, Acting Minister Kim said, "Cooperation with Russia is important in the process of pioneering the Arctic route," and stated accordingly.
Kim said, "To pioneer the Arctic route, this summer we will conduct a trial voyage of a 3,000-TEU container ship from Busan to Rotterdam." Within the ministry, the timing for the trial voyage is seen as September. Seasonally, the Northern Hemisphere is hottest in July–August, but sea ice on the Arctic route melts the most in September.
However, to use the Arctic route, cooperation with Russia, which has jurisdiction over the waters in the area, is necessary. In particular, if an icebreaker must be used in the process of using the waters to prevent collisions with sea ice, the expense of using the icebreaker must be paid to the Russian authorities. The problem is that the West is imposing sanctions that restrict financial transactions with Russia, holding it responsible for the war in Ukraine.
Regarding this, the Vice Minister said, "We will find a way to accommodate both," adding, "I cannot disclose specific plans in detail now, but we will reveal them to the media as the process unfolds."
On incentives provided to shipping companies or cargo owners participating in the Arctic route trial voyage, Kim said, "It is inevitable to grant a certain level of incentives," adding, "We are reviewing internally how much to provide." Kim continued, "Once a shipping company is decided, we will decide (the incentives) through discussions based on what the company hopes for," and added, "Whether the incentives will be in specific items such as insurance premiums, or whether we will support expenses such as icebreaker costs, will require further discussion."
Kim also said, "We will establish the 'marine capital region promotion strategy (draft)' in the first half of this year to create a marine cluster in the southeastern region of the Korean Peninsula that concentrates marine-related corporations, public institutions, and a maritime court," adding, "We plan to elevate Busan Port to the world's top port and create a marine capital region comparable to the capital area."
In addition, "To accelerate the transition to eco-friendly ships, we will provide various benefits to shipping corporations, including expanding policy funds, allowing fractional investment, and offering tax benefits," adding, "For small and midsize shipping companies, we will expand subsidies for building new eco-friendly ships."
Kim went on to say, "We plan to invest a total of 600 billion won in research and development (R&D) of core technologies for fully autonomous ships by 2032," adding, "By 2045, we will develop the Busan New Port in Jinhae into the world's largest smart container port."
Regarding work difficulties after the move to Busan, Kim explained, "When going back and forth between Sejong and Seoul, it took one hour by KTX, but here it takes a good three hours," adding, "We are trying to use time as efficiently as possible and handle Seoul schedules intensively." Kim added, "At the working level, we are encouraging video conferences. We will strive to work efficiently."