• Journal of Korea Port Economic Association
• /
• v.32 no.2
• /
• pp.39-57
• /
• 2016

Many countries are developing transportation technologies aimed at reducing environmental pollution and the environmental burden. For example, environmentally friendly transportation routes and methods are being used to improve inland waterways in Europe. Against this backdrop, a case study was conducted on special cargo (weight cargo, earth and sand, etc.) on Korea's Gyeong-In Ara Waterway, an inland waterway connecting the Han River and the West Sea, serving a distribution function. The results of the analysis showed that coastal shipping could be promoted using the waterway, including a positive synergy among environmental, economic, and social aspects. That is, by shifting from overland transportation to marine transportation, it is possible to reduce environmental pollution, ease traffic congestion, decrease traffic accidents, and shorten the licensing period for the weight cargo demand of the northern area of the Han River. In this respect, the Gyeong-in Ara Waterway could become an environmentally friendly transportation route, promoting coastal shipping in Korea. However, for this to occur, support systems such as subsidies for marine transportation and using the inland waterway are required, as happens in the EU. Furthermore, existing policies to promote coastal shipping should be improved and applied more broadly.