With the site for the new Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries building now confirmed, Busan's Dong-gu district is emerging as the new center of what the city bills as South Korea's "ocean capital," shedding its image as an aging downtown. The selection follows the confirmed move-in of the maritime court's temporary building and HMM's planned headquarters relocation to the district, bringing closer to reality a vision of an administration-judiciary-industry belt anchored on North Port.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced Thursday that it had selected the North Port Phase 1 redevelopment site proposed by Dong-gu as the location for its new building. "We chose the site after comprehensively weighing land availability, its connection to the development of an ocean capital hub, and the building's locational requirements, given that the new building must serve as a base for the southern ocean capital region," a ministry official said.
The new building will be constructed on the marine cluster site within the North Port Phase 1 redevelopment zone — designated E-1-1, at 1270 Choryang-dong, Dong-gu — currently used as a parking lot for the Busan International Ferry Terminal. The relatively large site was chosen with an eye toward eventually clustering public institutions under the ministry's umbrella. The ministry aims to finalize the building's scale this year, begin design and permitting procedures, and complete construction by 2030.
Busan city officials welcomed the decision. "The construction of the new building will accelerate the formation of a maritime industry ecosystem where related agencies and companies can gather," a city official said. Mayor Jeon Jae-soo said the city would work with the ministry not only on the building itself but on completing the ocean capital region to lead the era of Arctic shipping routes. He added that he would ensure the effects of the ministry's relocation contribute to balanced development across Busan. The city plans to actively support urban planning, transportation infrastructure expansion and administrative procedures including permitting.
Dong-gu officials expect the ministry's relocation to raise the district's profile in tandem with the earlier-confirmed move of the maritime court. The site for the temporary building of the Busan Maritime and International Commercial Court was finalized on June 24 at the Dong-gu Culture Platform — the former Korail Busanjin Station building — with the court set to open in March 2028.
The planned relocation of HMM's headquarters to Busan and the construction of a landmark new office building at North Port add further momentum, with Dong-gu looking to build an integrated belt of administration, judiciary and industry centered on the North Port mixed-use port district. Dong-gu Mayor Kang Cheol-ho has said throughout the campaign to attract the ministry building that he intends to achieve a revival of the old downtown through railway undergrounding, improved living conditions and stronger cooperation with related agencies.
Challenges remain, however. The confirmation of the maritime court's temporary building at the former Busanjin Station means the International Coffee Museum currently operating there will end its management contract at the end of this year, leaving the question of relocating existing local facilities unresolved. With roughly four years until the new ministry building is complete, attention is turning to what role the central government and Busan city will play in transforming Dong-gu from an old downtown into a new urban center built around North Port.
kaf2002@heraldcorp.com
