The South Korean freighter "PanStar Acro" set sail this Saturday from the port of Busan to begin the first pilot operation aimed at analyzing whether the so-called Northern trade route, which crosses the Arctic, can become a viable option compared to the Persian Gulf, an area now complicated by the war in Iran.
According to details provided by the Ministry for Oceans of South Korea in a statement released by the official agency Yonhap, the "PanStar Acro" will take about eight days to reach the planned corridor and will enter Arctic waters around September 7.
Two days later, the ship will make a stop at the British port of Felixstowe before continuing its journey to Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, where it is expected to dock on September 11. The last stop in Europe will be the Polish port of Gdansk, from where it will begin the return trip to Busan.
The navigation plan contemplates that the ship will complete a journey of 45 days and cover about 6,400 kilometers until its return to South Korea, scheduled for October 5.
The South Korean government aims to establish a regular maritime connection between South Korea and Europe through the Arctic by 2030. This test is part of a broader government strategy that seeks to turn the southeastern region of the country into a major global maritime hub, with the port city of Busan as the main axis.