The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) hosted a ceremony to celebrate the 28th anniversary of Ocean Day at Gyeongju Expo Grand Park in Gyeongsangbuk-do on May 31.
The event was held under the theme “Innovative Ocean Industry, Leaping Marine Economy, Korea Running Alongside.”
Gyeongju is a place in which Korea’s first marine administration agency was established and was the epicenter of Unified Silla Kingdom, which achieved a marine commerce empire, so Gyeongju was worthy of holding the Ocean Day anniversary event, MOF said.
In his speech at the event, MOF Minister Cho Seung-hwan said, “The sea is a space with overflowing potential to which the whole world pays attention, so efforts to explore marine new industries have been intensified, and Korea aims to become a new marine powerhouse via the seas once again.”
First of all, Minister Cho unveiled a plan to nurture the logistics industry to buttress the exporting economy. He spoke of steps to raise funds to cope with the crisis gripping the shipping industry and innovative job creation to stabilize the supply of core manpower in the marine and fisheries sectors.
MOF plans to create a large-scale smart fisci-culture cluster by leveraging the private sector’s investments. Korea aims to raise fisheries exports to $3.5 billion by nurturing the blue food industry, focusing on core items, such as laver and tuna, the ministry said.
MOF Minister Cho delivers his commemorative speech at the 28th Ocean Day anniversary event.
Minister Cho said, “Multi-purpose marine, leisure, tourism cities will be created to facilitate the one-stop provision of marine content, such as leisure, ecology and healing.”
He said MOF will establish a digital marine transportation platform by upgrading e-Navigation, the world’s first digitalization of marine transportation information.
Ocean Day, which falls on May 31, was designated as a national commemoration day by the government in 1996 with the goal of having our seas’ economic and environmental values and importance known to people.
Among those on hand at the event were MOF Minister Cho, Gyeongsangbuk-do Gov. Lee Cheol-woo, and Gyeongju Mayor Joo Nak-young as well as marine and fisheries industry people and neighborhood residents.
Forty people were presented with orders and other government prizes in recognition of their contribution to the development of marine and fisheries industries.
The coveted Order of Industrial Service, Silver Tower went to Eastern Marine President Kim Young-deuk and Chairman Kang Soo-il of KOSMA.
Meanwhile, MOF held “Ocean Week” until June 3, coinciding with diverse marine culture and experience events across the nation in celebration of the Ocean Day anniversary.
Korea Oceans and Fisheries Expo 2023 took place for a two-day run from June 1 at Hwabaek International Convention Center in Gyeongju, the venue of the Ocean Day anniversary event.
Incheon held a ceremony to celebrate the 120th anniversary of lighting the lighthouse of Palmi Island on June 1.
‘Seoul Declaration for 2050 Green Shipping Transition’ Announced
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) held the 2023 Korea Maritime Week and the Ministerial Conference at Seoul Silla Hotel from June 14 to June 16.
Korea Maritime Week is an annual event to succeed the Seoul International Maritime Forum, which was launched in 2007.
It is an annual international event designed to discuss significant issues related to maritime safety and marine environment in international shipping.
The conference focused on critical topics in the maritime industry, including decarbonization, future fuels, marine environment, Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships, and digitalization, and explored future strategies.
Among those on hand at the event were MOF Minister Cho Seung-hwan, Secretary General Lim Ki-tack of the International Maritime Organization, Ghanaian Minister for Transport Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, Vidaridar Ulriksen, and Elmer Francisco Sarmiento, Undersecretary for the Maritime Sector of the Department of Transportation of Philippines.
The “Seoul Declaration for 2050 Green Shipping Transition” was released at the close of the 2023 Korea Maritime Week and the Ministerial Conference.
The statement calls for making joint efforts to achieve decarbonization of the international shipping industry by 2050 while cooperating with greenhouse gas emission reduction and supporting IMO’s 2023 greenhouse gas emission reduction strategies.
The event consisted of four expert sessions on future fuel, green shipping, technology development of MASS, and maritime digitalization and a NGO session on international green shipping.
_제28회 바다의 날03.jpg)
_제28회 바다의 날04.jpg)
