HALTED BUSAN-JAPAN SEA TRIPS

[Anchor Lead]

Air travel is gradually resuming as demand for international travel is rising again. However, international passenger ferries are still grounded. Sea trips between Busan and Japan have been halted for over two years now.

[Pkg]

The Busan Port International Passenger Terminal is the largest of its kind in Asia. It used to be crowded with passengers before the pandemic, but nowadays it's virtually closed. The operation of passenger ferries has been halted for over two years now due to the pandemic. Most of the stores at the terminal are now closed.

[Soundbite] Terminal store staff : "There are no travelers and no customers because of the pandemic. Many workers here have been laid off. There are no customers all day."

Ferry operators that haven't seen a single international passenger in more than two years are on the verge of shutdown.

[Soundbite] Hong Sung-moo(Pukwan Ferry) : "We only transport cargo these days. Our employees have either quit or are on leave. It's hard for everyone."

Although the pandemic is subsiding, no one knows yet when passenger ferries will be able to resume operations. One operator recently had its ferries dock at the port to prepare for the resumption of sea trips between Busan and Fukuoka, Japan. With the tourism sector having been hit particularly hard by the pandemic, ferry operators are desperate for international tours to resume quickly.