A South Korean container ship has completed a round trip to Europe via the Arctic, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported on Sunday.
The PanStar Acro left the south-eastern port city of Busan in August to test whether the route can be commercially viable, passing north of Russia from the Pacific to Europe and back again.
The ship stopped at ports in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Poland on the 50-day voyage. The ship took slightly longer than the planned 45 days.
The voyage is significantly faster than the traditional route to Europe via the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.
Seoul aims to establish the Arctic passage as a new trade route and develop Busan as an international logistics hub.
The global search for alternative trade routes has accelerated since the start of the Iran war and the significant restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Environmental groups have warned the route could accelerate polar ice melt and disrupt fragile ecosystems.
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