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Beyond a Wave of Uncertainty – The 19th World Ocean Forum Opens Today

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that the 19th World Ocean Forum 2025 opens today (October 22) and will continue until October 24 at Lotte Hotel Busan. The event is co-hosted by the City, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and the Busan Ilbo, and organized by the Korea Maritime Industries Association. It will be held in a hybrid format, both online and offline.

Event Overview
• Event Title: 19th World Ocean Forum (WOF 2025)
• Date & Venue: October 22 (Wed)–24 (Fri), 2025 / Lotte Hotel Busan
• Theme: Beyond a Wave of Uncertainty
• Scale: Over 5,000 participants including domestic and international marine experts (online included)
• Program: 13 sessions (1 keynote, 11 thematic, 1 epilogue)
• Hosts / Organizer: Busan Metropolitan City, Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Busan Ilbo / Korea Maritime Industries Association

This year’s forum, themed “Beyond a Wave of Uncertainty,” brings together domestic and international experts in the field of ocean industries to discuss future directions and strategies for global cooperation.

In an era of “extreme uncertainty,” marked by overlapping crises such as climate change, instability in logistics supply chains, geopolitical tensions, and financial and regulatory risks, participants will discuss marine-centered strategies for decarbonization, digital transformation, sustainable resource management, and international cooperation to strengthen resilience.

The forum comprises 13 sessions, including those on shipbuilding, marine finance, blue economy, and a special Busan session on the Arctic Route, featuring 93 speakers from 13 countries presenting future marine agendas.

At the opening ceremony on October 22 at 3:30 p.m., Yeom Jae-ho, President of Taejae University, and Martin Koehring, an ocean futurist, will deliver keynote speeches on “Marine Policy Directions in an Era of Uncertainty.”

The Shipbuilding session will address expansion strategies for the global shipbuilding and maritime markets by utilizing technologies such as “Ocean Mobility” platforms for eco-friendly vessel systems and AI-based operational control.

The Marine Finance session will explore financial strategies for the maritime industry to cope with market volatility amid uncertainty, including risk management and investment stabilization in ship finance. The Blue Economy session will focus on sustainable ocean industry development and responses to climate change through marine science and technology.

In addition, the Busan Special Session (Arctic Route) will center on strategies for Busan’s growth as a hub city for Arctic shipping routes, exploring how Busan can leverage the Arctic Route to become a global maritime logistics center.

The forum will be streamed both online and offline, allowing anyone to access live discussions by global marine experts. A special program for startups is also prepared on-site.

Online participation is available through the Korea Maritime Industries Association website or the World Ocean Forum website, where audiences can watch key sessions and lectures live.

During the event, a “Marine Startup Zone” will be set up in the lobby, offering a space for domestic and international participants to discover innovative ocean startups.

Park Geun-rok, Director General of the Bureau of Oceans and Fisheries of Busan Metropolitan City, stated, “The World Ocean Forum serves as a global platform where experts from around the world exchange ideas and discuss new marine policies and industrial strategies. It will play a pivotal role in strengthening Busan’s position as the maritime capital and in presenting future directions for the city’s advancement into a global ocean hub.”