Busan named host city for 2028 UN Ocean Conference

Korea's southern port city of Busan has secured the honor of hosting the fourth UN Ocean Conference in 2028, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced. This marks Busan as the epicenter for one of the world's most crucial environmental gatherings, as nations confront the challenges of rising sea levels, ocean acidification, and plastic pollution.

Korea was chosen by the UN General Assembly to host the 2028 conference, continuing a diplomatic arrangement that pairs a developed nation with a developing partner - in this case, Chile, which will host a high-level preliminary event in 2027. The selection committee highlighted Busan's concentration of shipping industries, oceanic research institutes, and deep-water infrastructure as the key factors in their decision.

Although the final approval still needs to be secured by a prime-ministerial committee and incorporated into a forthcoming UN General Assembly resolution, the announcement effectively designates Busan as the country's central platform for addressing oceanic issues.