Pyoungtaek needs a Regional Maritime Affairs and Fisheries

"A Pyoungtaek Regional Maritime Affairs and Fisheries is what is need
ed most of all so that the Port of Pyoungtaek serves as an advance pos
t toward China in the 21st century as well as a main port to strengthe
n logistic competitiveness in metropolitan areas," said a lawmaker in
a strategy forum.

Rep. Cheong, Chang-sun of the ruling Millennium Democratic Party atte
nded a recent strategy forum with the same declaration.

He said in the forum that Pyoungtaek is one of three ports to be deve
loped according to a national strategy that it has played an important
role in logistic systems. Among coastal provinces, Kyounggi is the on
ly one not to have a Regional Maritime Affairs and Fisheries office in
it, causing many problems and inconveniences to civil services.

The Port of Pyoungtaek gained cargoes sharply last year, up to as muc
h as 21.63 million tons from 13,000 tons in 1986, increasing over 160
fold. It anticipates cargoes reaching 86.21 million tons in 2011. In t
hat year (2011), Pyoungtaek is scheduled to launch container and car-f
erry trade. It also has plans to export about 300 thousand cars annual
ly just around the completion of the car-dedicated wharf.

Relating to near sea activity around metropolitan areas, Rep. Cheong
said that the Port of Pyoungtaek has already approved of the importanc
e of near sea trade, kicking off with the Pohang steel quay for Ro-Ro
ships and operating near sea container ships. The Port of Pyoungtaek c
ompleted building four berths between 1989 and 1998, following the fir
st step in government projects.

Private capital projects allowed finishing three berths for Hanbo ste
el and one berth for Dongboo steel completed earlier than scheduled. A
s the second step, beginning in 1997 and scheduled for completion in 2
001, two berths out of four on the western wharf are still under const
ruction and scheduled to be completed by June 2001. Among private capi
tal projects, only one berth under the charge of POSCO is planned to b
e built, while the others have no specific plans.

Three berths on the east wharf, which failed to attract private capit
al, were diverted to government projects in June 1996.

Meanwhile, the Port of Pyoungtaek is comprised of quays for liquid an
d steel cargoes, except for the east wharf, which was built as a gener
al quay.

POSCO uses one berth for POSCO Ro-Ro ships in the general quay, and P
youngtaek Ports Inc. uses three.

The Port of Pyoungtaek could be available to stevedore as much as 5.1
5 million tons of cargoes a year.

By 1998 stastics, the Port of Pyoungtaek showed 5.15 million TEU for
import and export cargoes. In that figure, metropolitan bound cargoes
accounted for 47.2% or 2.43 million TEU. If the Port of Pyoungtaek is
used instead of the Port of Pusan, 752 billion won in inland transport
ation costs might be saved annually.