Launching ceremony of the Sae In Lee (Photo courtesy of Asia Shipbuilding)
GEOJE, South Korea, Feb. 6 (Korea Bizwire) — In a milestone for South Korea’s shipbuilding sector, a small shipyard in Geoje has completed the nation’s first domestically built deep-sea fishing vessel capable of operating in Antarctic waters, a market long dominated by foreign manufacturers.
Asia Shipbuilding, based in Geoje’s Sadeung district, recently launched the 540-ton longliner Sae In Lee, a 64-meter vessel designed specifically for harvesting Antarctic toothfish, commonly known as Chilean sea bass. The ship measures 11.6 meters in width and is engineered for extended operations in harsh polar conditions.
Longline fishing vessels for Antarctic waters require advanced capabilities, including ice resistance and deep-sea operating systems — technical demands that have typically placed them beyond the reach of smaller yards. While South Korea’s major shipbuilders possess the expertise, such vessels are generally considered too small in scale to attract their interest.
As a result, Korean operators have historically relied on secondhand vessels built in Japan, reflecting limited domestic experience in constructing such specialized ships.
A panoramic view of Asia Shipbuilding Co.’s facility in Sadeung-myeon, Geoje City. (Photo courtesy of Asia Shipbuilding)
Industry officials welcomed the development, saying the launch demonstrates that small and midsize Korean shipyards can compete in high-value, technically demanding segments. With replacement demand for Antarctic longliners expected to grow, the market is projected to reach between 150 billion and 200 billion won over the medium to long term.
“The successful construction of this vessel shows that smaller shipyards can build complex, specialized ships,” an industry official said. “It opens the door to a new niche market.”
For South Korea’s smaller shipbuilders, squeezed for years between global overcapacity and competition from larger rivals, the Sae In Lee may signal a path toward diversification — and renewed relevance in a changing maritime economy.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
