Jeju Port has welcomed its first international regular container ship in 57 years, marking a historic milestone since its designation as a trade port in 1968. The opening of the direct container route between Jeju and Qingdao, China, is expected to dramatically enhance the export and import competitiveness of Jeju's businesses by significantly cutting logistics costs and transit times.
On October 18, the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province held the 'First Arrival Ceremony of the Jeju-Qingdao Regular Container Ship' at the Jeju Port International Passenger Terminal. The inaugural vessel, 'SMC Rizhao,' arrived with approximately 40 TEUs of imports, including PET chips and machinery. For export, 10 TEUs of Jeju products, such as processed seafood and Samdasoo bottled water, were loaded for China. The $118 text{m}$ long, $20.8 text{m}$ wide vessel has a capacity of $712 text{TEU}$ and is equipped with $109$ reefer plugs, making it ideal for transporting fresh and refrigerated goods.
The establishment of this international regular route comes $57$ years after Jeju Port was designated a trade port in $1968$. Following approval from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries in late July and the selection of the operating shipping company in August, the route officially commenced operations after completing the navigation plan filing in early October. The new service will run weekly, departing Qingdao on Mondays, arriving in Jeju on Wednesdays, and returning to Qingdao on Saturdays.
Jeju Island anticipates substantial logistics cost savings. The previous route via Busan Port cost $2.04$ million KRW per $1 text{TEU}$ container. The direct route slashes this to $770,000$ KRW, a $62%$ reduction ($1.27$ million KRW saving), while also shortening the transport time by at least two days. This direct linkage enables the import of Chinese construction materials and the direct export of Jeju's mineral water and cosmetics without passing through traditional ports like Incheon. Furthermore, the route is expected to create jobs related to cargo handling, bonded area management, and ship entry/departure support.
Governor Oh Young-hoon remarked that the route's opening is a "historical moment" that revives the spirit of Tamna, a maritime kingdom that communicated with the world via the sea a thousand years ago. He emphasized that the route would cut logistics costs for Jeju businesses by over $60%$ and bring them closer to the Chinese and Southeast Asian markets. The governor committed to developing Jeju Port into a key hub for Northeast Asian maritime logistics in conjunction with the Jeju New Port development plan.
Zhao Bo, Chairman of the Shandong Ocean Shipping Group, expressed his honor to participate in the "meaningful occasion" of the route's inauguration, stating that the new service will be a bridge connecting not only logistics but also the economies and cultures of the two regions.
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