Busan: President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday pledged to foster shipping and port industries as national strategic sectors in an effort to establish unhindered maritime supply routes. Lee unveiled the plan in a speech at a ceremony in Busan marking the country's Sea Day, which falls on Sunday, reaffirming the government's plan to establish a global maritime hub in the city and surrounding areas.

According to Yonhap News Agency, President Lee emphasized that the shipping industry should not be viewed solely as a logistics sector but as a core industry bolstering the national economy and security. He articulated the government's plan to advance the shipping and port businesses to the status of national strategic industries.

The president outlined that, as part of these efforts, the government intends to support the acceleration of the recovery of global maritime supply chains. This initiative aims at establishing new sea supply networks that can be entirely managed independently by the country.