INCHEON PORT TERMINAL OPENS AMID PANDEMIC

[Anchor Lead]

The previously divided Incheon Port International Passenger Terminal has now been merged and newly opened. But an opening ceremony had to be skipped as not a single passenger is using the terminal amid the coronavirus pandemic. The terminal will likely mainly serve cargo transport for the time being.

[Pkg]

​A massive 30-thousand ton ferry from Weihai, China. It safely docks at the new pier in the south port of Incheon. It's the first vessel to arrive at the new international passenger terminal that cost some 670 billion won to build.

[Soundbite] LEE JAE-WUK(CAPTAIN OF FIRST SHIP TO DOCK) : "I hope the port terminal can become a symbol of Incheon alongside Incheon Int'l Airport."

The new terminal has a pier as large as 9 football fields and can accommodate six 30-thousand ton ships and one 50-thousand-ton vessel at the same time. The terminal office building is 1.8 times bigger than the two previous terminal office buildings combined. It also houses customs and shipping firm offices, as well as amenities such as duty free stores and travel agencies.

[Soundbite] LEE JEONG-HAENG(INCHEON PORT AUTHORITY) : "Cargo and passenger operations are unified to better serve the interest of cargo owners and passengers."

But inside the terminal, the atmosphere is still uneasy. Due to COVID-19, passengers are nowhere to be seen for the 5th straight month, almost making the name 'passenger terminal' redundant. Passenger transport has inevitably halted amid the pandemic and the terminal's operation is expected to mainly center on cargo traffic for the time being. The Incheon Port International Passenger Terminal has been revamped to enhance convenience for passengers using ten ferry routes connecting to China. Hopefully the pandemic can swiftly come to an end so the terminal can welcome back its one million-plus passengers.