Operator News
South Korea – Jeju ferry and casino
By Lewis - 8 October 2013
South Korea’s first international ferry, which will berth at the Jeju port and connect Korea, China, and Japan, will begin test sailings in December this year. According to South Korea’s self-governing southern Jeju Province, the Dongseung Corporation was issued a conditional license allowing it to sail the new international ferry from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.
Currently, the Dongseung Corporation is in talks with Chinese business partner, negotiating a secure berth within the Shanghai Port in China. When the Chinese berth is secured, Dongseung will look to sign an agreement with Japanese business partners. Accordingly, regular sailings of the international ferry are expected to start in February or March of next year.
Meanwhile, Jeju is planning to build a temporary international terminal for car ferries. This would be once its conditional license is issued and would cost roughly one billion won. Following the Dongseung Corporation’s application for a ship casino license, Jeju will follow the usual approval processes according to applicable laws to enable gaming in international waters. Jeju expects that the international ferry will bring more tourists, and help increase the exports of Jeju’s agriculture, fisheries, and livestock products, as well as reduce logistics-related costs.
