The Incheon Port Authority (www.icpa.or.kr, President Lee Kyung-gyu) announced on the 12th that it has released the themes and speakers for the second day of the '2024 Incheon International Ocean Forum (IIOF 2024)', which will take place from July 4th to 5th at the Grand Ballroom of Songdo Convensia (123 Central-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon)

The regular sessions, to be conducted over two days, include ▴Session 1: Maritime Logistics ▴Session 2: Smart Port ▴Session 3: Port Energy ▴Session 4: Ocean Tourism▴Session 5: Ocean Environment and Climate ▴Special Session: Seminar on Exporting Used Car Industry and Development Strategies for Cargo Volume at Incheon Port in 2024. The Forum advisory committee members will serve as session moderators, guiding each session.

On the second day of the event, starting at 9:30 AM on July 5th, the main hall will host Session 4 "Ocean Tourism". The session will be chaired by Dr.Leem Bok-soon, President of the Korea International Cruise Institute, who will lead discussions on " A New Leap Forward in the Northeast Asian Cruise Industry: Innovation and Cooperation - Multi-Turnaround Chain Cruising."

The presenters for this session include Mr. Tanaka Saburo, Deputy Director General of the Japan Cruise Research Institute WAVE, who will discuss "Current Status of Japanese International Cruise Industry"; Professor Liu Hsi Lin of the National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism (NKUHT), who will present “International Cooperation Experience and Development Prospects of Taiwan’s Cruise Industry"; Dr. Qiu Ling, Director General of the Shanghai International Cruise Business Institute, who will explore "Strategic Research on Promoting Cooperation and Interaction among Asian Cruise Port Cities". The panelists for this session who will participate in a comprehensive discussion about the ocean tourism industry include: Hu Yingqing, Chairman of the North China Cruise Economy Institute, Gao Wenling, Secretary-General of the Tianjin Cruise Yacht Association.

Simultaneously, at the second hall, the "Ocean Environment and Climate" session will be conducted. Chaired by Professor Nam Sung Hyun from Seoul National University, this session will discuss " Seas of Change: Exploring Ocean Responses to Climate Dynamics."

Presentations will include: " Rapid Changes in the Oceans and Polar Regions, along with Rising Sea Levels, in a Warming World" by Principal Research Scientist Lee Won Sang from the Korea Polar Research Institute; " Nature-based Solution (NbS) for Climate Crisis: National Strategy of the Blue Carbon" by Professor Kim Jong Seong from the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Seoul National University; and " Three Things to Abandon to Preserve Marine Biodiversity under Climate Change " by Dr. Rashid Ussif Sumaila, Killam Professor at the University of British Columbia

Incheon Port Authority Vice President of Port Operations Kim Sang-ki stated "I hope this forum serves as a valuable opportunity to recognize the need for revitalizing ocean tourism through cooperation within the Northeast Asian cruise industry and to highlight the importance of protecting the ocean environment to preserve our ecosystems."

Now in its fifth year running, the Incheon International Ocean Forum invites maritime officials and professionals from various fields to explore solutions relevant to global maritime and port issues. It is jointly hosted by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (Minister Kang Do-hyung) and Incheon Metropolitan City (Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok), and co-organized by IPA and Yonhap News Agency (President Seong Ghi-hong).

Pre-registration for the forum is available until the 30th of this month on the official forum website (http://www.iiof.kr/2024/).

For inquiries, please contact the IIOF Operations Office at 02-2606-2192 or via email at iiof2024@gmail.com.