Hanjin delays one day the 1st take-off on Ara Waterway

The Seoul-Incheon (Gyoung-In) Canal

Hanjin Shipping, one of the Korean biggest liners, opened its container shipping service on Ara Waterway on February 2, delaying their opening schedule by one day.

Hanjin Shipping hit the water for the first time at a terminal at the Seoul-Incheon (Gyoung-In) Canal in Gimpo, west of Seoul with a 215 TEU container ship, the HAN SEO. The ship is operated between Gyoung-In Canal and Qingdao, taking off at Gyoung-In Canal every Thursday.

Originally, Hanjin announced it would start the service on February 1 at the Gimpo Terminal, but the loading facilities in Gimpo terminal were not fully completed. Also, water in the Ara Waterway froze, so the liner changed the canal to Gimpo. The company is considering operating at the Gimpo terminal in March.

Not only Hanjin Shipping, but 10 additional liners that joined the Yellow Sea Liners Committee participate in the slot chartering. The liners are as follows: KMTC, Dong Young Shipping, Dong Jin Shipping, Doo Woo Shipping, Pan Continental Shipping, STX Pan Ocean, CK Line, Tai Young Shipping, Heung-A Shipping, and Wei Dong Ferry.

Among the Liners of Yellow Sea Liners Committee, Nam Sung Shipping, Han Sung Lines and Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) dropped out to join in the service.

With Hanjin Shipping hitting the waters at the Ara Waterway, a total of 3 carriers are operating cargo services in the canal. Daewoo Logistics delayed opening a cargo service at the canal last year, but will operate its own service. The company will operate some used-car carriers between Korea and Vladivostok, Russia. < 김보람 기자 brkim@ksg.co.kr >