首尔，10月11日 - 韩国一艘集装箱船于周日完成了该国首次经北极航道往返欧洲的商业航行，当局寄望该航线能助力釜山港成为全球海运枢纽。
SEOUL, Oct 11 - A South Korean container ship completed the country's first commercial round trip to Europe via the Arctic on Sunday, as authorities bank on the route helping turn the port of Busan into a global maritime hub.
PanStar Acro轮于8月22日启航，50天后抵达东南部港口。当局表示，北极航道可将典型航程时间缩短约三分之一。
The PanStar Acro docked in the southeastern port 50 days after setting sail on August 22. Authorities say the Arctic route could cut typical voyage times by around a third.
李在明总统已将北极航运列为优先事项，官员们希望到2030年开通常规航班。
President Lee Jae Myung has made Arctic shipping a priority, and officials hope to launch regular services by 2030.
但该项目存在风险，可能与希望在俄乌冲突中使俄罗斯孤立的西方盟国产生摩擦。该航线沿俄罗斯北极海岸线延伸，首尔在航行过程中曾与莫斯科协商，包括船只遇到问题（如被冰封）时是否需要援助。
But the project risks friction with Western allies hoping to keep Russia isolated during its war in Ukraine. The route runs along Russia's Arctic coast, and Seoul consulted with Moscow about the journey, including whether the ship needed help to tackle any problems, such as getting stuck in ice.
在出程航段中，该船穿越北极水域，先抵达英国费利克斯托，随后靠泊鹿特丹和格但斯克，再经北极返航。
On its outbound voyage, the vessel passed through Arctic waters and reached its first European port, Felixstowe in Britain, before calling at Rotterdam and Gdansk and returning home via the Arctic.
此次试航也凸显了未来面临的挑战。出发前，PanStar曾告诉路透社，其正寻求约1300个二十英尺当量单位（TEU）的货物，但实际装载仅737 TEU货物及空箱。
The trial voyage also highlighted the challenges ahead. Before the departure, PanStar told Reuters it was seeking about 1,300 twenty-foot equivalent units of cargo, but the ship left with 737 TEU of cargo plus empty containers.
行业专家表示，该航线的价值将取决于航班可靠性、为避开冰航行导致的延误成本、特殊保险费用以及额外燃油消耗。
Industry experts have said the route's value will depend on reliable schedules, the costs of slowing to avoid ice, special insurance premiums and extra fuel use.