Around the Arctic

South Korea will test Arctic shipping route in September

In September 2026, the South Korean government will conduct a trial run of Arctic shipping routes by sending a container ship from Busan to Rotterdam to test the possibility of connecting Asia and Europe via northern sea routes, the South Korean Oceans Ministry said, according to Korea JoongAng Daily, an English-language South Korean newspaper.

South Korea will test Arctic shipping route in September

In September 2026, the South Korean government will conduct a trial run of Arctic shipping routes by sending a container ship from Busan to Rotterdam to test the possibility of connecting Asia and Europe via northern sea routes, the South Korean Oceans Ministry said, according to Korea JoongAng Daily, an English-language South Korean newspaper.

The aim is to explore the potential for shorter and more efficient trade routes that can complement or compete with traditional routes such as the Suez Canal. In order to complete the voyage, Korea requires permits from Russia, as the Arctic passages involve Russian waters, and therefore consultations with Russian authorities are planned for the first half of the year. The project is part of a broader strategy to expand South Korean maritime capabilities and position Busan as a global maritime hub.

DMI teaches Sirius aspirants

DMI completed a course last month in meteorology and ice map reading for aspirants from Sled Patrol Sirius and station specialists, so they are better equipped for the extreme weather and ice conditions they encounter in Northeast Greenland, writes DMI on its website.

- When you first are out in the dark on the ice in Greenland, you need to know as much as possible. About one special current gnaws at the ice from below, or about the nature of a mountain and wind direction together produce sudden deadly downwinds, says DMI's experienced Greenland meteorologist Flemming Geisler-Skou, who was responsible for the implementation of the course.

The course, held over two days in Copenhagen, gave the future patrolmen and station specialists basic knowledge of sea ice, current conditions, glaciers and weather conditions – knowledge, that is crucial when they have to operate as "hard necks" in one of the world's harshest environments.