On the 25th, newly appointed Minister Hwang Jong-woo of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said, "Regarding the situation in the Middle East, we must not let our guard down, and we must prioritize the safety of our seafarers and vessels."
At an inauguration ceremony held that day at the main auditorium of the annex of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries in Busan, the Minister said accordingly, "Let's firmly imprint the value of the existence of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries by performing 120% of the role we must play, including actively responding to damage suffered by shipping companies, import-export corporations and fishers."
At the inauguration ceremony that day, the Minister strongly expressed his commitment to "fostering a maritime capital region." He said, "The population share of the capital region rose from 29% in 1970 to 46% in 2000. In the mid-2000s, the Participatory Government created innovation cities and Sejong City, relocating central government ministries and public institutions to the provinces in an effort to achieve balanced national development, but the capital region's population surpassed half to 50.6% last year," adding, "At this rate, it is expected to reach 68% in 2050."
The Minister said, "To overcome this reality in which there are no people in the provinces while the capital region's pains of congestion grow by the day, we must revitalize the provinces and create growth engines there," adding, "The very strategy for this is 5 poles and 3 specialties."
He said, "Among the 5 poles and 3 specialties, the task with the highest likelihood of success is fostering the Southeast region—that is, Busan, Ulsan and Gyeongnam—as a maritime capital region," adding, "For the nation's future, this must be realized, and the benefits of success must be spread across all regions. I believe the president's earnestness led to the decisive transfer of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to Busan."
The Minister went on, "This year marks exactly 30 years since the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries was launched," adding, "In the face of countless challenges and crises, we have achieved results worthy of pride in making our seas healthy, safe and more valuable."
He added, "I believe the status of maritime Korea in the world has also risen another notch," noting, "Hosting the Our Ocean Conference successfully last year and winning the bid to host the UN Ocean Conference in 2028 are evidence of that."
He continued, "Despite such progress, there are still many tasks we must solve," adding, "Above all, we must enhance the competitiveness of the fisheries industry and fishing villages."
The Minister said, "Over the past 30 years, the fishing household population has decreased by more than 70%. The new challenge of climate change is also formidable," adding, "For young people to return to fishing villages, and for our people and the world to trust and more often seek out tasty, high-quality seafood that we can supply on a sustained basis, we need truly innovative change."
He added, "Let's build a new fisheries industry, from restructuring production stages such as coastal fisheries and aquaculture to modernizing distribution and processing, and creating brands and marketing."
The Minister also said, "The shipping and port industry is one that competes with the world," adding, "Only when shipping and ports are strong can our economy run well. Let's refine systems and policies so we do not fall behind global trends, and, in line with AI and decarbonization, make timely investments in ships and ports to seize opportunities for a new leap forward."
He added, "Let's also prepare steadily for the Arctic route so that in a few years we will surely hear the assessment, 'If we hadn't prepared then, we would have been in big trouble.'"
He went on to elaborate, "Those who have pierced pitch-black darkness, battled rough waves to produce seafood, and carried cargo to grow and support our economy are precisely the people of the oceans and fisheries," adding, "I, along with all of you staff members, must serve them well."