Busan, South Korea's largest port city, has been chosen to host the fourth UN Ocean Conference in 2028, prevailing over Jeju Island in a competitive bid process to stage one of the international community's most significant environmental summits.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced the decision this week, placing Busan at the center of global marine diplomacy at a time when nations worldwide are confronting rising sea levels, ocean acidification, and escalating plastic pollution. The United Nations General Assembly designated South Korea as the host nation late last year under a diplomatic framework that pairs a developed country with a developing partner. In this arrangement, Chile will host a high-level preliminary event in 2027.

Selection officials pointed to Busan's extensive concentration of shipping industries, oceanic research institutions, and deep-water infrastructure as the key factors behind the decision. Busan consistently ranks among the world's busiest container ports, handling over 20 million TEUs annually, and is home to major maritime research bodies including the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology. The selection still requires formal ratification by a prime-ministerial committee and codification in an upcoming UN General Assembly resolution, but the announcement effectively designates Busan as South Korea's primary platform for ocean policy.

The conference, convened every three years, functions as the principal diplomatic mechanism for advancing Sustainable Development Goal 14, the UN's framework for conserving and sustainably using marine resources. The 2028 summit will arrive at a pivotal moment for ocean governance, as countries work to implement the Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction — commonly known as the High Seas Treaty — adopted by the UN in 2023 to protect marine biodiversity in international waters covering nearly two-thirds of the global ocean. Organizers anticipate that the 2028 gathering will attract approximately 20,000 delegates, diplomats, and oceanography experts representing all 193 UN member states.

The event's scale has grown considerably in recent iterations. The most recent summit, held in Nice, France, in June 2025, assembled roughly 60 heads of state and government leaders who reached agreements on sustainable fisheries and marine biodiversity protection.

Although Jeju Island's bid for the main conference was unsuccessful, the selection committee recommended that the island host several special and preliminary events in the lead-up to the 2028 summit.

"We will work closely with Busan to demonstrate Korea's maritime capabilities to the world," said Oceans and Fisheries Minister Hwang Jong-woo. He added that the government intends to organize a summit that "drives international cooperation for a sustainable ocean."

Source: The Korea Times