World Shipping and Shipbuilding Leaders Gather in Busan for the 'World Maritime Day Celebration'

[Financial News] A large-scale event celebrating World Maritime Day, established by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), was held in Busan, bringing leaders from the global shipping and shipbuilding industries together in the city.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said it is co-hosting the 2026 World Maritime Day Celebration with the IMO at the Busan Port International Exhibition & Convention Center (BPEX) from the 26th through the 27th.

World Maritime Day was established in 1978 to commemorate the day the convention establishing the IMO was announced. The IMO oversees internationally standardized rules on ship safety at sea, protection of the marine environment and related matters. It has also selected one country each year to host the celebration, with the approval of its 173 member states and its Council.
This year's World Maritime Day Celebration is being held in South Korea for the third time in Asia, after Singapore in 2006 and Japan in 2015. It is the largest international shipping and shipbuilding event to be held since the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries moved to Busan. Around 400 people from 50 countries came to Busan that day, including heads of various international organizations, ministerial-level officials from major shipping nations, and representatives of domestic and overseas companies, among them IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez.
At the event, senior government officials and experts from various countries are set to hold in-depth discussions in four main sessions under the theme 'From Policy to Implementation.'
Hwang Jong-woo, Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, said, "I am pleased that we are holding the World Maritime Day Celebration in Busan, the maritime capital, in this meaningful year marking the 150th anniversary of the opening of Busan Port and the 30th anniversary of the ministry's launch." He added, "I hope this event will become a platform for solidarity to bring about a new turning point in the international maritime sector and serve as an opportunity for our country to fulfill a leading role in the international community as a maritime power."
Meanwhile, following this commemorative event, Korea Maritime Week, which offers a look at the present and future of the maritime industry, will also be held in Busan on the 28th and 29th. Now in its 20th edition, the event is continuing to grow beyond a domestic program into a world-class international exchange program in the maritime sector, building on the development of Korea's maritime industry and the achievements of international cooperation.
The event will feature a range of programs, including the International Forum on Advanced Maritime Mobility, which will share views on the future direction of ship development, and the Asia-Pacific Maritime Digital International Conference, one of the world's three leading international conferences on maritime digitalization. Also scheduled are the Decarbonization Forum, which seeks ways to establish green shipping corridors, and the Mock IMO Assembly, which aims to identify Korean talent for the IMO.[email protected] Byun Ok-hwan Reporter