President Lee Attends Welcoming Ceremony for Arctic Route Pilot Voyage, Praises Crew and Officials

President Lee Jae-myung visited Busan on the occasion of the completion of South Korea's first Arctic shipping route pilot voyage, highlighting the development of a "southern maritime capital region" and pledging all-out support.

The move is viewed as reaffirming his commitment to steadfastly pursue balanced national development, a core growth strategy of the Lee Jae-myung administration, while also seeking to embrace public sentiment in the Busan, Ulsan, and South Gyeongsang (PK) region.

President Lee attended the return welcoming ceremony for the Panstar Acro held in Busan on the afternoon of Tuesday, October 13, congratulating the successful pilot run and praising the hard work of the crew members and officials.

In his encouraging remarks, President Lee highlighted the strategic significance of opening the Arctic shipping route in light of recent experiences facing economic crises after maritime passages were blocked due to conflict in the Middle East.

Accordingly, he reaffirmed his intention to elevate the PK region into a "southern maritime capital region" so that it can actively prepare for the era of the Arctic route.

President Lee promised, "We will connect Busan's ports, logistics, and maritime finance, Ulsan's eco-friendly energy, and South Gyeongsang's shipbuilding equipment and advanced manufacturing," adding, "We will ensure that companies grow locally across shipbuilding, ship repair, bunkering, talent training, finance, and insurance, leading to good jobs."

He also pledged, "We will further strengthen the functions of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries so that it can powerfully lead the development of the southern maritime capital region," adding, "We will equip it with authority and policy coordination capabilities commensurate with its new responsibilities, and boost its capacity to swiftly resolve issues on the ground."

Prior to the event, during a cabinet meeting he chaired at the Blue House in the morning, President Lee also mentioned expanding Busan Port's infrastructure, constructing the Gadeok New Airport, and overhauling rail logistics networks, pledging to establish the southeastern region as a key gateway for global logistics.

After the welcoming ceremony, President Lee also attended the headquarters unveiling ceremony of HMM, the nation's 17th-largest business group that relocated to Busan, demonstrating his commitment to supporting the growth of corporations spearheading regional economic revitalization.

Before reading his prepared remarks at the ceremony, President Lee said, "There were promises I made when I visited Busan previously, and most of them are being fulfilled," adding, "We will also establish the southeastern region investment corporation as promised."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.