US Asian ally tests Russian trade route to Europe

South Korea is preparing for an Arctic era in maritime trade, President Lee Jae-myung has said A South Korean container ship has completed a trial round trip to Europe via Russia’s Northern Sea Route, demonstrating the potential of the Arctic passage as a commercial shipping corridor.

Seoul considers maritime cooperation with Russia important to its trade strategy, despite joining some Western sanctions against Moscow over the Ukraine conflict.

Chinese shipping companies have also been exploring the strategic Arctic route.

The PanStar Acro returned to Busan on Sunday, 50 days after departing for Europe along Russia’s northern coast.

The ship reached Felixstowe, Britain, on September 12 and Rotterdam, Netherlands, the following day.

It also called at Gdansk, Poland, before returning to South Korea.

President Lee Jae-myung congratulated the crew on their safe return and thanked them for their work.

The voyage, which cut travel time by approximately ten days in each direction compared with the traditional route through the Suez Canal, provided valuable navigation experience and data as South Korea prepares for an “Arctic route era,” Lee wrote on X.

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America and Europe will be enemies Asian interest in the Northern Sea Route has grown amid turmoil in the Middle East.

However, the Russian Arctic passage presents challenges, including a limited navigation season and the potential need for icebreaker escorts.

Earlier this month, Russian nuclear corporation Rosatom, which operates the Northern Sea Route through its subsidiary and maintains a fleet of nuclear-powered icebreakers, welcomed the PanStar Acro’s eastbound passage.

The ship crossed the Arctic section in just 5.85 days, compared with 6.4 days on its westbound journey.

Timely Russian navigational guidance and information about weather and ice conditions “enabled route optimization and adherence to the planned schedule,” Rosatom said.