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Busan Opens the Door First to the Era of Arctic Shipping Routes!

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that Mayor Park, from Jan. 5 to 6 (local time), visited Anchorage and Nome in the U.S. state of Alaska as part of efforts to take the lead in the coming “Era of Arctic Shipping Routes.”

Recently, as accelerating ice melt caused by global warming and instability along existing routes—such as the Red Sea crisis—have intensified, the Arctic shipping route, the shortest path connecting Asia and Europe, has emerged as a key topic in the global logistics industry.

In particular, the strategic value of Alaska is rapidly rising as the Trump administration moves forward with an Arctic deep-draft port construction project to strengthen Arctic resource development and security. In response, Busan Metropolitan City plans to take proactive measures for the activation of Arctic shipping routes and expand the logistics reach of Busan Port into the Arctic region.

On Jan. 5, Mayor Park visited Don Young Alaska Port (formerly the Port of Anchorage) to inspect port operations and logistics infrastructure.

Don Young Alaska Port (formerly Anchorage Port) is a major hub port that handles 90 percent (%) of Alaska’s cargo volume. Through this visit, Busan Metropolitan City plans to develop concrete logistics business models that can be linked with Busan Port to help open future Arctic shipping routes.

On Jan. 6, the delegation visited Nome, a strategic point adjacent to the Bering Strait in the Arctic. Located at the gateway to the Arctic Ocean, Nome is considered a key mandatory stopover for vessels once Arctic shipping routes become more active.

Mayor Park held discussions with Kenny Hughes, Mayor of Nome, and officials from the Port Commission, and toured the site of the Arctic deep-draft port construction project recently announced by the U.S. government.

At the site, Mayor Park shared Busan’s extensive experience in building and managing new ports, and Busan Metropolitan City plans to establish a foundation for cooperation between Busan and Nome as future bases for supplying ship stores, repairs, and management services for vessels operating along Arctic shipping routes.

Officials from Nome also noted the potential for expanded exchanges with Asia as Arctic routes grow, expressing expectations for broad cooperation—including in economic, cultural, academic, and fisheries sectors.

Mayor Park stated regarding the Alaska visit, “The Arctic shipping route is a ‘dream route’ that can reduce the distance between Busan and Europe by more than 30 percent (%) compared to the southern route via the Suez Canal, and it is a gateway of opportunity for Busan to become the world’s leading global logistics hub.” He added, “Based on the outcomes of this visit, we will build a substantive global cooperation network between Alaska and Busan, and ensure that Busan stands at the forefront of the era of Arctic shipping routes.”

He also emphasized, “Going forward, we plan to accelerate the realization of ‘Global Hub City Busan’ by preparing for the activation of Arctic shipping routes in cooperation with domestic and international shipping and logistics companies.”