Lee says Arctic sea route development to comply with int'l sanctions

President Lee Jae Myung reiterated Korea's commitment to developing a new shipping route through the Arctic Ocean on Tuesday, emphasizing that it would be carried out in line with international norms and sanctions. This pledge came during a ceremony marking Korea's successful voyage to Europe via the Arctic Ocean using a container ship, as the nation aims to launch summer-season container shipping services connecting Asia and Europe.

The PanStar Acro, a Korean container vessel, returned to Busan, a southeastern port city, on Sunday after traveling through the Arctic Ocean north of Russia to destinations in Britain, the Netherlands, and Poland, a journey that took 50 days following its departure from Busan. This pioneering voyage signifies the first successful trip by a Korean container ship through the Arctic Ocean, a route that is more challenging due to polar ice but provides a faster alternative to routes through the Suez Canal.

However, the increasing global utilization of the Arctic route has sparked concerns that collaboration with Russian entities might violate international sanctions imposed on Russia due to its conflict with Ukraine. Primarily, Korea intends to facilitate the opening of the Arctic shipping route.