South Korea completes Arctic-Europe commercial voyage, mulls regular trips despite risks

SEOUL- A South Korean container ship completed the country's first commercial round trip to Europe via the Arctic on Sunday, as authorities bank on the route helping turn the port of Busan into a global maritime hub.

The PanStar Acro docked in the southeastern port 50 days after setting sail on August 22. Authorities say the Arctic route could cut typical voyage times by around a third.

President Lee Jae Myung has made Arctic shipping a priority, and officials hope to launch regular services by 2030.

But the project risks friction with Western allies hoping to keep Russia isolated during its war in Ukraine. The route runs along Russia's Arctic coast, and Seoul consulted with Moscow about the journey, including whether the ship needed ​help to tackle any problems, such as getting stuck in ice.

On its outbound voyage, the vessel passed through Arctic waters and reached its first European port, Felixstowe in Britain, before calling at Rotterdam and Gdansk and returning home via the Arctic.

The trial voyage also highlighted the challenges ahead. Before the departure, PanStar told Reuters it was seeking about 1,300 twenty-foot equivalent units of cargo, but the ship left with 737 TEU of cargo plus empty containers.

Industry experts have said the route's value will depend on reliable schedules, the costs of slowing to avoid ice, special insurance premiums and extra fuel use.

(Reporting by Joyce Lee; Additional reporting by Hyunjoo Jin; Editing by Ed Davies and William Mallard)