This study presents strategic directions for the international cooperation required for Busan Port to secure sustainable competitiveness in a rapidly changing global competitive environment. Although Busan Port has strong transshipment handling capaci...
This study presents strategic directions for the international cooperation required for Busan Port to secure sustainable competitiveness in a rapidly changing global competitive environment. Although Busan Port has strong transshipment handling capacity, its qualitative foundation of competitiveness is being undermined by fragmented operational structures, limitations in hinterland functions, delays in digital transformation, and increasing pressure to respond to stricter environmental regulations. To address these challenges, the study compares and analyzes cooperation cases from major international ports—Shanghai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Long Beach, Rotterdam, and Hamburg—and examines how cooperation, beyond the mere signing of MOUs, has been implemented and translated into tangible outcomes through operational and logistics integration, data-driven platforms and standardization, green corridors and environmental infrastructure, port–city–hinterland integration, and governance design.
The analysis indicates that a transshipment-centered strategy alone has clear limitations for Busan Port. Instead, Busan Port needs to pursue a coordinated set of measures: upgrading the logistics system based on cooperation networks, building an open digital ecosystem, promoting route-based partnerships for the green transition, advancing hinterland development linked to urban and industrial systems, and strengthening the institutional mechanisms that support implementation. Ultimately, the competitiveness of Busan Port will depend less on expanding handling capacity and more on its ability to execute international cooperation that integrates networks, data, and sustainability; such a transition is expected to reinforce the long-term foundation for Busan Port’s growth.