South Korea to Send First Trial Container Ship Through Arctic Route

South Korea is set to send its first trial container ship through the Arctic on Saturday as disruptions from the Middle East conflict continue to rattle global shipping.

The container ship PanStar Acro, berthed at Busan New Port, will sail to Europe via the Arctic to test whether the route, opened for longer periods by melting sea ice, can be commercially viable.

The voyage follows that of the Chinese container ship Dubai Tower, which left the eastern port city of Ningbo for Europe this month, travelling north through the Bering Strait before turning west along Russia’s Arctic coast.

Environmental groups have warned that increased shipping through the Arctic could accelerate polar ice melt and pose additional risks to the fragile environment.