The South Korean container ship PanStar Acro, operated by PanStar Line, left the port of Busan at around 9 p.m. on Saturday 22 August 2026 to reach Europe via the Northern Sea Route, in the Arctic. It is the first commercial trial run by a South Korean container ship on that itinerary, presented by the Ministry of Oceans as an alternative to the Middle East corridor since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The vessel, loaded with 837 TEU of cargo, is due to call at Felixstowe, Rotterdam and then Gdansk before returning to Busan, for a total voyage estimated at 45 days. According to the South Korean Ministry of Oceans and the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy, the route shortens the Asia-Europe journey by 7,000 kilometres and ten days compared with the Suez Canal.
The PanStar Acro is still en route to Europe, with this test journey, which is seasonal, dependent on Russian permits that Western diplomats view as problematic.
The passage requires Moscow's approval, which controls the route; Western diplomats express their discontent.
Isemar notes that the route is only navigable from August to October and requires reinforced, more expensive ships.
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The Chinese container ship Dubai Tower, which set sail from Ningbo, had taken this Arctic route just a few days earlier.
No German port is included in the chosen route, while Rotterdam and Gdansk are part of it.
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