Hanjin Ras Lafan Makes First Maiden Call

On October 7th, Hanjin Shipping's 4th LNG carrier, the Hanjin Ras Lafa
n, made its first return voyage to Korea from Qatar arriving at Korea
Gas Cooperation's LNG refinery in Incheon, Korea.
Over 20 guests, including Hanjin Shipping president, Mr. C.K. Kim, and
Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS) vice president K.S. Lee attended the sp
ecial ceremony in Incheon.
Delivered in July 2000, the Hanjin Ras Lafan is the fifteenth of seven
teen LNG carriers ordered by KOGAS, and will be used to transport 650,
000 tons of LNG a year from Qatar until 2024.
Korean Peninsula Needs to Consolidate Itself as Logistic Center of Nor
th East Asia
Many Korean corporations have been interested in TAR-NC (Trans Asia Ra
ilway-Northern Corridor) and expanding into Northern Asia while South
Korea is emerging as a logistic center in North East Asia. In light of
the recent agreement to restore Kyoungui Rail at the Inter-Korean sum
mit, it is expected that connecting North East Asian countries will ha
ve a positive influence on their economies.
Related to this subject, the need to establish rails and infrastructur
e with SOC (Social Overhead Capital) has come to the front and further
, the Korean peninsula needs to play the role of a bridgehead with the
connection of the TCR (Trans China Rail) and the TSR (Trans Siberia R
ail), said logistic business officials.
Han Young-sup, general director for the federation of Korean Industrie
s, said that Korea is investing in finance and technology in the north
ern portion of the Trans Asia Rail. Further, it is important to unders
tand how it is going to change the trans-network system in North East
Asia when corporations think over strategies for North Korea and North
Asian countries.