S. Korea to host UN Ocean Conference in 2028, Busan seeking venue role

South Korea will host the UN Ocean Conference in June 2028 as part of its efforts to highlight the country's maritime achievements, chart future policy directions and bolster its leadership in the global marine sector, officials in Seoul said Tuesday.

According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Korea’s co-hosting role, alongside Chile, was confirmed at a UN General Assembly meeting in New York on Monday, where a resolution formally naming the two countries as hosts of the high-level international ocean sustainability conference was adopted.

The resolution passed with 169 votes in favor and two against. The opposing votes came from the United States and Argentina.

The UNOC is the largest and highest-level international meeting in the maritime sector, held every three years to advance Sustainable Development Goal 14: the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources. The conference brings together participants from 193 UN member states, international organizations and NGOs to discuss key ocean-related issues.

The event is traditionally co-hosted by a pair of one developed and one developing nation. South Korea and Chile will lead the fourth edition, with Korea hosting the main event in 2028 and the South American nation holding a high-level preparatory meeting in 2027.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries plans to select the host city through a public bid open to local governments in the first half of next year. Busan, in particular, has already expressed strong interest and had been actively pursuing its bid even before South Korea’s hosting was confirmed.

During Monday's plenary meeting of the UN General Assembly, Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Chun Jae-soo expressed hope that the event would serve as an "important milestone" to demonstrate the Korean government's commitment to working with the international community to build healthier, more sustainable oceans.

"We will use this as an opportunity to establish Korea as a leading global maritime nation through thorough preparations," he said.

As the fourth UNOC will be held two years ahead of the 2030 target for SDG 14, it is expected to play a pivotal role in shaping ocean cooperation beyond 2030. Korea's Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries hopes it will strengthen the country's contributions and influence in UN-led maritime discussions in the years that follow.

The first UNOC was held in June 2017 at UN Headquarters in New York, co-hosted by Fiji and Sweden, focusing on reversing the decline in ocean health, supporting SDG 14, building partnerships and sharing best practices.

The second event was held in Lisbon in 2022 by Portugal and Kenya, addressing a wide range of global issues, including climate change, pollution and overfishing. Initially scheduled for 2020, the event was postponed to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The third session was held this year in Nice by France and Costa Rica, with a focus on mobilizing action for ocean conservation and sustainable use. It drew some 15,000 participants, including 55 top-level officials from across the globe.