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International maritime conference set to kick off in Busan

Published: 29 Apr. 2025, 11:42

Oceans Minister Kang Do-hyung speaks at a briefing for the diplomatic corps on the upcoming Our Ocean Conference at the Seoul Press Center in central Seoul on Feb. 24. [YONHAP]

A major global maritime conference was set to kick off in Korea's southeastern port city of Busan on Tuesday to provide a platform for international discussions on the sustainable future of the ocean.

The 10th Our Ocean Conference (OOC) will be held under the theme "Our Ocean, Our Action" for two days at Bexco.

Some 2,000 officials, including government delegates from 100 countries and the leaders of international institutions and nongovernmental organizations, are scheduled to attend the event, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.

This year's OOC plans to discuss seven topics, including marine protected areas, sustainable fisheries, marine pollution, maritime security and digital oceans.

As the host country, Seoul plans to propose the "Korea Blue Action Plan," which comprises some 70 pledges on efforts to promote the sustainability of the ocean sector.

The pledges will include efforts to expand marine protected areas across the world, the use of eco-friendly fuels for vessels and efforts to decrease marine plastic pollution.

On the sidelines of the event, the Oceans Ministry will hold a business summit of the shipping, shipbuilding and digital ocean industries.

Korea will also host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Oceans-related Ministerial Meeting on Wednesday and Thursday in Busan, ahead of the APEC summit set to take place in the country in fall.

Yonhap