▲ Oceans Minister Hwang Jong-woo is seen in this photo taken March 23, 2026. (Yonhap)

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New oceans minister vows efforts to turn southeastern region into S. Korea's maritime capital

SEOUL, March 25 (Yonhap) -- New Oceans Minister Hwang Jong-woo on Wednesday vowed continued efforts to make the southeastern region into South Korea's maritime capital, with an aim to foster balanced regional growth and boost the competitiveness of the country's shipping and port industries.

Hwang made the pledge in his inauguration ceremony held at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries headquarters in Busan, about 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul.

Hwang was newly appointed to replace former Oceans Minister Chun Jae-soo, who stepped down in December amid allegations that he accepted bribes from the Unification Church.

For balanced regional growth, South Korea needs to develop the southeastern region, comprising the cities of Busan and Ulsan, along with South Gyeongsang Province, into a maritime hub, Hwang said, noting the country faces excessive population concentration in the greater Seoul area.

Hwang said the initiative will also help boost the global competitiveness of South Korea's shipping and port industries, vowing investment in the sectors for artificial intelligence (AI) transformation and carbon emission reduction.

"Additionally, let's prepare diligently for the envisioned expansion of Arctic shipping routes, so we can hear an assessment in a few years that if we had not prepared back then, we would have been in serious trouble," he added.

The oceans ministry relocated from the central administrative city of Sejong to Busan last year under the initiative of President Lee Jae Myung's administration to help Busan grow into a global maritime and logistics hub in the era of Arctic shipping routes.

Regarding the ongoing Mideast tensions, the minister vowed continued efforts to protect the safety of South Korean vessels and crew members stuck in the Persian Gulf area while minimizing damage to Korean companies.

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