South Korea ship to test Arctic commercial route amid Western concerns
Tweet
Share
E-mail
The PanStar Acro, a container ship bound for Europe via the Arctic, testing whether a route opened by melting sea ice can be commercially viable, is anchored at a port in Busan, South Korea, August 20, 2026. Yonhap via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPP
SEOUL, Aug 22 (Reuters) - A South Korean container ship sets sail on Saturday for Europe via the Arctic in the nation's first commercial voyage on the route to test its viability, with the hope of turning the southeastern port of Busan into a global maritime hub.
The PanStar Acro will sail north, hugging eastern Russia's Kamchatka peninsula, cross the Bering Sea, and take the Northern Sea Route, stopping in Felixstowe in Britain, Rotterdam in the Netherlands and Poland's Gdansk before returning on a journey expected to take 40 to 45 days.
President Lee Jae Myung has made Arctic shipping a priority for South Korea, a shipping powerhouse. Officials say this could help transform Busan and position the Arctic as a regular trade route by 2030.
But the project risks friction with Western allies hoping to keep Russia isolated during its war in Ukraine. Seoul has consulted with Moscow about the journey, including whether the ship needed help to tackle any problems, such as getting stuck in ice.
South Korea's Oceans Ministry and Russia's Foreign Ministry did not respond to requests for comment.
Last year, 88 vessels made 103 transits through the route, up from 97 in 2024 and 43 in 2022, chiefly from nations such as Russia and China, according to Norway's Centre for High North Logistics.
Melting Arctic ice has made passage through the north easier, while the increased shipping in turn accelerates global warming, scientists say.
The 2,758 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit) container ship operated by South Korea's PanStar has secured 837 TEU of cargo including auto parts, chemical products and about 100 empty containers on the government-backed voyage.
The PanStar Acro is scheduled to flag off around 8 p.m. (1100 GMT) depending on loading and preparations, a government official said.
(Reporting by Jack Kim and Brenda Goh; Editing by William Mallard)
Serious News for Serious Traders! Try StreetInsider.com Premium Free!
You May Also Be Interested In
- ByteDance secures $29.6 billion loan in AI push, sources say
- Deadlocked jury in Lindsay Clancy's murder trial to deliberate for seventh day
- Morning Bid: Bonds' reality check
Create E-mail Alert Related Categories
ReutersSign up for StreetInsider Free!
Receive full access to all new and archived articles, unlimited portfolio tracking, e-mail alerts, custom newswires and RSS feeds - and more!
