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Mayor Park Heong-joon: Establishing the Maritime Court in Busan to Strengthen the City’s Standing as Korea’s Maritime Capital

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□ Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced today (12) that, following the passage of the bill to establish the Busan Maritime and International Commercial Court at the 7th plenary session of the 432nd National Assembly (extraordinary session) held today (12), it has been finally confirmed that the court will open on March 1, 2028. This marks the fruition of the long-standing effort led jointly by the city and its citizens to bring the maritime court to Busan.

□ The newly established Busan Maritime and International Commercial Court is expected to operate as a specialized court with jurisdiction over maritime civil cases, maritime administrative cases, and international commercial cases for the Yeongnam, Honam, and Jeju regions.

○ Its jurisdiction will cover Busan Metropolitan City, Gyeongsangnam-do, Ulsan Metropolitan City, Daegu Metropolitan City, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Gwangju Metropolitan City, Jeollanam-do, Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province, and Jeju Special Self-Governing Province.
○ After completing the necessary preparations for its opening, the court will commence official operations with an independent judicial system starting March 1, 2028.

□ In 2017, the city formed the “Pan-Citizen Promotion Council for Establishing the Maritime Court in Busan” together with civic groups, becoming the first in the nation to officially raise the need for a maritime court and continuously communicate the legitimacy of locating it in Busan.

○ In 2017, the city systematized its rationale for hosting the court in Busan through a study titled “Establishment of a Specialized Maritime Court and Strategies for Its Attraction.”
○ In 2022, based on the study “Feasibility of Establishing a Maritime Court in Busan,” the city worked with legal circles, academia, and the shipping and port industries to continue hosting policy forums, seminars, mock maritime trials, and rallies.
○ Through these efforts, the city has expanded nationwide public consensus on the need and justification for establishing a maritime court.

□ The city has also pursued proactive efforts to broaden the foundation for maritime legal and arbitration services.
○ In 2018, together with the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board, the city opened the “Asia-Pacific Maritime Arbitration Center,” the only maritime arbitration institution of its kind in the nation, strengthening the infrastructure for resolving maritime disputes.
○ The city has continued to submit proposals to relevant bodies, including the National Assembly and the National Court Administration, consistently presenting the need to establish the Busan maritime court, persuading stakeholders of its necessity and legitimacy, and building civic support through a wide range of efforts.

□ In response to the bill’s passage, Mayor Park Heong-joon said, “I welcome the National Assembly’s passage of the bill to establish the Busan Maritime and International Commercial Court. The establishment of the Busan Maritime and International Commercial Court, combined with the relocation of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, maritime public institutions, and headquarters of shipping companies, will revitalize the local economy and serve as an opportunity to strengthen Busan’s status as the maritime capital of the Republic of Korea.”

□ He continued, “I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the citizens of Busan who joined together with one heart and one mind to establish the Busan Maritime and International Commercial Court,” adding, “We will build a cooperative framework with related institutions and provide thorough administrative support so that the court can open as scheduled on March 1, 2028 without disruption. We will also leverage Busan’s outstanding infrastructure to develop specialization measures for the Busan Maritime and International Commercial Court and establish the foundation to vitalize maritime legal services.”