The government has unveiled a four-point plan to solidify South Korea’s position as the world’s fourth largest maritime shipping nation.

The oceans and fisheries ministry announced on Thursday at a public forum on people’s livelihood held in Incheon that it will seek to strengthen the function of Incheon Port as the gateway of the Seoul metro area.

To this end, the government will adopt a completely automated system for the Incheon New Port Phase 1-2 container terminal and open it by 2027 to boost the nation’s port competitiveness and to preemptively respond to the growth in container cargo volumes. 

As the second point of its plan, the government will address the expansion of smart ports around the world and competition in productivity among ports with smartification of hub ports. 

Amid the restructuring of the global supply chain, the government will seek to expand South Korean vessels' cargo carrying capacity in a bid to establish a stable logistics network for import and export companies. 

As the last point of the plan, the government will seek to provide financial support for the construction of eco-friendly vessels in the face of tightened decarbonization regulations of the International Maritime Organization and the EU.