Around the Arctic

South Korea to test Arctic shipping route in September

The South Korean government will conduct a trial voyage of Arctic shipping routes in September 2026 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 carry out the voyage, Korea requires permits from Russia, as the Arctic passages involve Russian waters, and therefore consultations with Russian authorities are planned in 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

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

- When you are first out in the dark on the ice in Greenland, you need to know as much as possible. Whether a particular current is gnawing at the ice from below, or whether the nature of a mountain and wind direction together cause sudden, deadly downdrafts, says DMI's experienced Greenland meteorologist Flemming Geisler-Skou, who was responsible for running the course.

The course, held over two days in Copenhagen, gave the future patrol officers and station specialists basic knowledge of sea ice, currents, glaciers and weather conditions – knowledge that is crucial when they have to operate as “hardliners” in one of the world’s toughest environments.