South Korea to comply with international sanctions on Arctic shipping route

Lee made the pledge at a ceremony in Busan celebrating the successful return of the PanStar Acro, a South Korean container ship, after a 50-day voyage to Europe via the Arctic Ocean north of Russia. This pilot voyage marks the first successful trip by a South Korean container vessel through the route, which offers faster transit times than the Suez Canal but carries greater risks due to polar ice.

The president stated that South Korea will "thoroughly abide by international norms and principles on sanctions while communicating sufficiently with key countries for cooperation and responsibly heeding relevant concerns." He also pledged to ensure the new route fosters mutual prosperity and does not become the exclusive interest of any single nation.

South Korea aims to launch regular summer-season container shipping services linking Asia and Europe by 2030. The president hailed the PanStar Acro's voyage as a "meaningful challenge" that proved the route's feasibility and opened the first chapter in the country's Arctic shipping endeavors. He also committed to laying the foundation for Arctic shipping by accumulating experience and investing in technologies for safety and environmental protection. Lee also reaffirmed his vision of transforming Busan into a maritime hub connected to this new shipping route.