Excited youths carefully board the Fanstar Miracle as part of the 'KOBC-Dreaming of the Sea' program organized by the Korea Maritime Promotion Corporation.
The Korea Maritime Promotion Corporation has combined its core business of ship finance with social contribution activities to nurture future maritime talent. From September 6 to 10, the corporation, in collaboration with Fanstar, conducted a tour of Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe for 24 youths from children's facilities in Busan, Gyeongnam, and Gyeongbuk.
This initiative aims to provide youths, who have limited opportunities for overseas experiences due to economic conditions, with a chance to explore new cultures and investigate career paths in the maritime field. Notably, the program also signifies the return of maritime finance achievements to the local community through the youths' travel on Fanstar vessels.
The 'Dreaming of the Sea' program primarily involves experiencing maritime travel aboard the Fanstar cruise between Busan and Osaka. The youths gained insights into the structure and functions of ships by observing key facilities and directly experiencing the maritime transport process.
They also explored areas typically off-limits to regular passengers, such as the bridge and engine room, learning about the principles of ship operation. This space provided opportunities to meet the captain and navigators, allowing the youths to hear about maritime careers. After the discussions, the youths expressed increased interest in maritime professions based on the explanations from the captain and navigators.
In Japan, the exploration of maritime careers continued alongside maritime safety education. The youths studied the history of the sea and the development of ships at the Kobe Maritime Museum and learned disaster response methods at the Kobe Disaster Prevention Future Center.
During their historical and cultural exploration, they visited Mimizuka to reflect on the pain of the Imjin War and the site of the Wiju Prison where independence activist Yun Bong-gil was detained, contemplating the significance of the independence movement.
Ahm Byeong-gil, president of the Korea Maritime Promotion Corporation, stated, "I hope this experience allows youths to broaden their possibilities by directly engaging with the sea, ships, various professions, and cultures that they usually find difficult to access. We will continue to strive to share the value of the shipping and maritime industry with future generations through social contribution activities aligned with the corporation's business characteristics."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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