As global warming melts the polar ice caps, interest is shifting away from environmental concerns and toward the region’s untapped economic potential.
The melt will mean havoc for the Arctic region’s wildlife as native animals’ habitats are disrupted. But rising temperatures will also unlock natural resources.

The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that the Arctic has 90 billion barrels of oil and 1,670 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

But for Korea, the immediate interest may lie in the new shipping routes opening up as seasonal ice coverage reduces at unprecedented rates, said Norway’s ambassador to the High North on a visit here this month.

“The climate is changing, the ice is melting and the Arctic is getting more accessible,” said Karsten Klepsvik, Oslo’s envoy to the Arctic Council. “We know there are substantial potential natural resources in the Arctic, it opens up for shipping, it opens up for cruises it opens up for more science and tourism.

“I think many countries are eager to find out what these new activities in the Arctic are all about, and to ask to be part of that.”

Although ice-covered in winter, the Arctic Ocean has always undergone seasonal melting in spring ― with around half of the ice gone in summer. Now, more ice is melting each year, and Klepsvik said the newly emerging shipping routes are attracting Korea’s attention.

“The main reason is quite simply the much shorter distance between Europe and Asia around the Northern Sea Route as compared to through the Suez Canal or the Panama Canal,” he said. “You could save a lot of time and thereby save a lot of money, if the price is not prohibitive.

“Being a big shipbuilding nation, (Korean companies) can build ice-strength vessels for these conditions and for this sea route. Of course, also for Korea as a big exporting and importing country trade, shipping of products to and from Europe and North America is probably also of relevance for you.

“You are a big importer of oil and gas, you are completely dependent on that and there will also be a sea route for access to oil and gas resources close to you in Northern Russia that will also be to your advantage.”

Many challenges must be overcome before a route straying far from the shallow waters of the Russian coast will be commercially viable. Winter ice, tough weather conditions and darkness will make the route unviable year-round. The availability of search and rescue services is another issue.

“We do see that it can be used for longer and longer periods in the year and this year I think it could be used from the end of April until October,” Klepsvik said. 

In recent years, companies have been exploring the viability for commercial shipping of an Arctic route from Rotterdam in The Netherlands to Ulsan, South Korea. But Jan-Gunnar Winther, director of the Norwegian Polar Institute, said commercial use of the route was still a long way off.

Experts are cautious about predicting the rate at which the route will fully open, but some foresee the Arctic Ocean becoming entirely ice-free in summer within just a few decades ― with dates ranging from as soon as 2020 to 2070.

“This is probably one of the environments on earth that has changed the quickest in recent years. The climate models up until now have not been able to project this rapid decrease in sea ice,” said Winther.

Overcoming the challenges of ice cover is offering opportunities for Korean shipping companies, too. Samsung Heavy Industries has sold three ice-breaking tankers to Russia. The ships’ specially reinforced hulls allow them to break through up to one meter of ice without the assistance and extra cost of a specialized ice-breaking vessel.

While in Korea earlier this month, Klepsvik and Winther met with Shin Maeng-ho, director general of international legal affairs at the Foreign Ministry, to discuss joint research projects and related policies as well as Korea’s bid for permanent observer status on the Arctic Council.

“Also, for the first time we are having discussions with Korea on the government-to-government level on issues of interest to both parties,” Klepsvik said.

“It is highly relevant and most interesting to have these kind discussions with Korea because of your expertise in shipping, Arctic and Antarctic science, and with regards to your interest in the Arctic Council and how that can be handled.”

The Norwegian envoy said he saw no reason that Korea’s application for permanent observer status would not be granted at a ministerial meeting in May 2013.

More than 40 countries and international organizations are bidding to gain permanent observer status to the council, which is the only Arctic Circle border organization. Korea has been an ad hoc observer since 2008, along with China, the European Union and Italy. But it is seeking a more secure position to watch meetings, and discuss areas of cooperation with stakeholders afterward.

In spite of the rush of interest in the Arctic, Klepsvik was keen to dispel the impression of a battle for control of the thawing resource-rich region.

“These people claiming that there is a scramble for the Arctic, we totally disagree with that,” he said.

He stressed that all Arctic costal states ― the U.S., Russia, Canada, Norway, and Denmark through Greenland, ― have agreed to observe the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea regarding continental shelf extensions in the region, and claims over resources there.

“All this is in place, most of the resources will be under national control, so we don’t fear any kind of a race or any militarization in the Arctic. All the challenges we have in the arctic will be resolved in a peaceful and constructive way.”

By Kirsty Taylor (kirstyt@heraldcorp.com)