S. Korea needs national 'Arctic strategy' beyond shipping routes, expert says

The Institute for International Maritime Affairs at Korea Maritime and Ocean University held its seventh Scholar and Expert Colloquium at the university's lifelong education center on June 25, the institute announced Monday. The event featured a special lecture by Kim Min-su, head of the Arctic Route Support Team at the Korea Maritime Institute.

Kim, an international law expert, has contributed to shaping South Korea's Arctic route policy through extensive research on Arctic shipping, policy and maritime security. The lecture was titled "An Arctic Story Written as Strategy, Read as Busan," and was followed by a discussion among participants.

"South Korea must establish a national-level 'Arctic strategy' that goes beyond the Arctic shipping route," Kim said. "The Arctic is a complex strategic space for security and economic cooperation, and its importance is growing by the day — accelerated by faster-than-expected ice melt and rising supply chain uncertainty stemming from the Suez Canal crisis and the Strait of Hormuz blockade."

Kim said cooperation with the United States, China and Russia is indispensable for building such a national Arctic strategy. "The Arctic opportunity before us is one South Korea absolutely cannot afford to miss in advancing its national interests," he said.

Jung Moon-soo, director of the Institute for International Maritime Affairs, called Kim's presentation "an insightful analysis of what must be pursued for the national interest," and pledged that the institute would continue to build an integrated industry-academia-research-government collaboration network through its scholar and expert colloquium series.

Meanwhile, the Institute for International Maritime Affairs carried out the National Research Foundation of Korea's Humanities Korea and Humanities Korea Plus programs from 2008 to 2025. Since 2025, it has been conducting the foundation's Humanities and Social Sciences Research Institute Support Program, a foundational research project titled "Building Arctic Sea Route 3.0," which runs through 2031.