The nation’s first international ferry, which will berth at the Jeju port and connects Korea, China, and Japan will begin test sailings in December this year.

According to Jeju Province, the Dongseung Corporation was issued a conditional license allowing it to sail the new international ferry from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries on September 17th.

Currently, the Dongseung Corporation is in talks with a Chinese business partner, negotiating a secure berth within the Shanghai Port in China.

When the Chinese berth is secured, Dongseung will turn to the east, looking to sign an agreement with its Japanese business partner.

Accordingly, regular sailings of the international ferry are expected to start in February or March of next year.

Meanwhile, Jeju is planning to build a temporary international terminal only for car ferries. This would be once its conditional license is issued and would cost roughly one billion won.

In addition, if the Dongseung Corporation applies for a ship casino license, Jeju will follow the usual approval process according to applicable laws.

Jeju expects that the international ferry will bring more tourists, and help increase the exports of Jeju's agriculture, fisheries, and livestock products, as well as reduce logistics-related costs.