South Korea launches first container ship pilot voyage through Northeast Passage

BUSAN — South Korea will launch its first pilot operation of a container ship through the Northeast Passage on Saturday, as the government steps up efforts to develop new Arctic shipping routes and assess their commercial potential. The Panstar Acro, 2,758 twenty-foot equivalent units in size, operated by Panstar Line.com Co., will depart from Busan New Port for a 45-day round trip to Europe via the Arctic route. The vessel will sail through the Northeast Passage and call at Felixstowe in Englan