Ferry route enters service between Pohang, Vladivostok, and Kyoto

An international car ferry route has been established in South Korea to link Pohang, Vladivostok, and Maizuru, three port cities in Korea, Russia, and Japan. Starting on Saturday, the ferries will depart for Vladivostok and Maizuru every Saturday and Wednesday, respectively. The first boarding of passengers has been delayed owing to the spread of COVID-19.

On Monday, the city government of Pohang announced that an international ferry route, which will travel to Vladivostok and Maizuru from the mother port of Yongilman in Pohang, will enter service on Saturday.

The operation will be handled by Duwon Shipping, a local company founded in 2006. The Eastern Dream, a ferry which will be serviced for the new route, is 140 meters long, 20 meters wide, and weighs 11,500 tons with an average speed at 20 knot per hour (37km/h). The ferry can accommodate 480 passengers, 130 TEU containers, 250 cars, and 50 units of heavy equipment.

The new seaway will serve as a steppingstone for Pohang to becoming the logistics hub of the East Sea, a plan that will put Yongilman port at the center of the picture. The construction of an international passenger terminal will be completed in October this year. The terminal – which is 310 meters long and 200 meters wide – will be large enough to anchor a 75,000-ton cruise ship. The Customs Immigration & Quarantine Office has been improved and facilities expanded for travelers.


Young-Hun Jang jang@donga.com