Busan named host city for 2028 UN Ocean Conference

Oceans and Fisheries Minister Hwang Jong-woo speaks during a ceremony marking the launch of a preparatory task force for the 2028 UN Ocean Conference, Aug. 3. Courtesy of Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries

Korea’s southern port city of Busan has won the bid to host the fourth UN Ocean Conference in 2028, edging out Jeju Island to stage one of the international community's most critical environmental gatherings.

The decision, announced this week by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, positions Busan at the focal point of global marine diplomacy as nations grapple with rising sea levels, ocean acidification and plastic pollution. Korea was designated by the UN General Assembly late last year as the host nation for the 2028 gathering, continuing a diplomatic framework that pairs a developed country with a developing partner — in this case, Chile, which will host a high-level preliminary event in 2027.

Selection officials cited Busan’s vast concentration of shipping industries, oceanic research institutes and deep-water infrastructure as the decisive factors. While the choice must still be formally ratified by a prime-ministerial committee and codified in a forthcoming UN General Assembly resolution, the announcement effectively establishes Busan as the country's central stage for ocean policy.

Held every three years, the conference serves as the primary diplomatic instrument to push forward Sustainable Development Goal 14, the United Nations’ blueprint for preserving marine ecosystems. Organizers expect the 2028 gathering to draw roughly 20,000 delegates, diplomats and oceanography experts from across all 193 UN member nations.

The event’s footprint has expanded rapidly in recent years. The most recent summit, held in Nice, France, in June 2025, brought together some 60 heads of state and government to forge agreements on sustainable fisheries and marine biodiversity protections.

Though Jeju lost its bid for the main conference, the selection committee recommended that the island host several special and preliminary events leading up to the summit.

"We will work closely with Busan to demonstrate Korea’s maritime capabilities to the world," Oceans Minister Hwang Jong-woo said, adding that the government aims to run a summit that "drives international cooperation for a sustainable ocean."

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.