South Korea’s largest cruise-only terminal will start operation in the port city of Incheon, west of Seoul, on Friday, hoping to become a hub cruise terminal that connects major ports in Northeast Asia.

Located in Incheon’s international business district of Songdo, the two-story terminal with a space of 7,364 square meters has a 430-meter-long berth that can accommodate a 225,000-ton cruise ship, currently the world`s largest.

The Incheon Port Authority (IPA), the operator of the new cruise terminal, will celebrate its launch and the first sailing from the terminal by 114,000-ton Costa Serena cruise ship, which will carry 2,700 passengers, on Friday this week.

The facility marks as the country’s fifth cruise terminal after those in the port cities of Busan, Jeju, Yeosu/Gwangyang, and Sokcho. It also is the largest of its kind in the country, capable of handling 1,500 passengers every hour. Moreover, a movable gangway is installed to connect the main deck of cruise ships directly to the terminal as well as 12 immigration checkpoints for expedited entry into the country.

Incheon’s new terminal is one of world’s very few cruise terminals that can accommodate 225,000-ton vessels, according to industry experts. It is as big as world’s leading cruise terminals in Miami where three to four cruise vessels set sail daily and generate more than $9 billion revenue every year.

The IPA aims to nurture the new terminal as a cruise tourism hub of the Northeast Asia by developing new routes such as to China and North Korea.

By Ji Hong-goo and Cho Jeehyun

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