Busan, South Korea
Sea freight in Busan
We book FCL and LCL sea freight for shippers and consignees in Busan, via Port of Busan. Pre-carriage, on-carriage by road or rail and the customs entries are planned together with the ocean booking.
Airports, seaports and connections in Busan
- AirportGimhae
PUS - AirportIncheon
ICNroad feeder - SeaportPort of BusanKorea's largest port
Busan's airport is Gimhae International Airport (PUS), west of the city centre on the Nakdong River delta. It offers mainly short- and medium-haul international flights within Asia, so long-haul air freight from Busan is usually trucked to Incheon International Airport (ICN) for departure. The Port of Busan is South Korea's largest container port and a major transshipment hub for North-East Asia, with terminals at the North Port and at Busan New Port, which straddles the border with Changwon. Ferries and ro-ro services link Busan with Japanese ports such as Fukuoka (Hakata), Shimonoseki and Osaka, which makes the city a natural sea-air hub.
The Gyeongbu Expressway runs from Busan to Seoul and is the main road corridor to Incheon Airport. The Namhae Expressway leads west towards Changwon, Gimhae and Gwangyang, and the Busan-Ulsan Expressway connects the Ulsan industrial area. The Gyeongbu Line carries container trains between the port and the Uiwang Inland Container Depot near Seoul, and the Busan-Jinhae Free Economic Zone around the New Port hosts distribution centres and logistics parks.
Operational logistics facts for Busan
| Hub | Specialisation | Local advantage |
|---|---|---|
| Port of Busan (North Port and Busan New Port) | FCL/LCL, transshipment, project cargo | Direct deep-sea services to Asia, Europe and the Americas from Korea's main container port |
| Gimhae International Airport (PUS) | Regional air cargo within Asia, small urgent consignments | Local airport for short-haul shipments and On-Board Courier trips |
| Busan-Jinhae Free Economic Zone | Distribution centres, logistics parks around the New Port | Storage and onward distribution close to the container terminals |
| Busan-Japan ferry and ro-ro routes | Short-sea cargo to Fukuoka, Shimonoseki and Osaka | Alternative to air freight for Korea-Japan shipments |
Industries in Busan and how we support them
Busan combines port logistics with manufacturing. The city has shipyards and marine equipment suppliers, for example on Yeongdo, a car assembly plant in Gangseo district, steel processing, footwear and a large fisheries and seafood trade around the coastal fish markets. The port area also serves as a distribution base for importers supplying the whole of south-east Korea. Ziem Logistics supports these supply chains with sea freight FCL/LCL through Busan, sea-air solutions combining Busan with air departures from Incheon, air freight under our own air waybills via PUS and ICN, On-Board Courier for urgent marine spare parts, and customs clearance through our Korean network partner team.
From the port to your door in Busan
We arrange collection of the container or the LCL cargo at Port of Busan, customs clearance and delivery to your site in the Busan area. For exports we organise the pick-up and the delivery to the terminal before the cut-off.
Customs clearance in South Korea
Ziem network
Customs clearance in South Korea is handled by a partner team in the Ziem network, under the Ziem Logistics brand and to our procedures.
For air freight to and from South Korea we issue our own air waybills.
Importers in South Korea need a business registration number and a customs registration (personal customs code for individuals).
Frequently asked questions
Which port is used for sea freight to and from Busan?
Usually Port of Busan. Depending on the shipping line and the destination, another port can be faster or more economical; we compare the options when quoting.