○ The Incheon Port Authority (www.icpa.or.kr, President Lee Kyung-Gyu) announced on December 28 that, since early 2025, it has been strengthening cooperation with container terminal operators to improve container logistics flow and operational efficiency at Incheon Port, which are now delivering tangible outcomes.

○ The Incheon Port Authority holds quarterly meetings of the Incheon Port Container Terminal Operators Council, which brings together four container terminal operators to share key operational issues and identify areas for improvement. This year, IPA officials visited terminals to gather on-site feedback and proactively implement practical initiatives.

○ Based on these consultations and field-level feedback, comprehensive efficiency improvements in port operations were achieved, covering processes from gate operations to mainline vessel operations.

○ In gate operations, IPA worked with Sun Kwang Newport Container Terminal Co., Ltd. (SNCT) to address bottlenecks in truck entry and exit procedures. Issues such as barrier malfunctions and lane misrecognition under the existing RFID-based access system led to the introduction and enhancement of an AI-powered license plate recognition system. As machine learning data accumulated, license plate recognition accuracy improved from 98% to 99.8-100%, thereby significantly reducing truck waiting times.

○ In mainline vessel operations, IPA and terminal operators jointly reviewed operational inefficiencies and implemented improvements. Hanjin Incheon Container Terminal Co., Ltd. (HJIT) introduced height-adjustable yard chassis equipped with landing gear. This equipment enables height adjustments to suit container handling conditions and has reduced handling time by 10%.

○ In addition, incorporating feedback from IPA’s field visits, a hinged, fork-liftable gangway developed by SNCT was deployed on site. The hinged structure serves as a passageway for workers moving between vessels and the quay, enhancing safety while reducing working time, thereby improving mainline operational efficiency.

○ As a result of these field-oriented improvements, the average truck turnaround time at Incheon Port container terminals (defined as the time from terminal entry to cargo pickup and exit) fell by 8.8% year-on-year, from 18.4 minutes to 16.8 minutes. By collaborating with terminal operators, IPA plans to further strengthen logistics competitiveness across Incheon Port in 2026 through initiatives such as △ the introduction of automated seal dispensing systems at South Port and △ additional investments in electric cargo-handling equipment.

○ Kim Sang-gi, IPA Vice President of Operations stated, “By communicating with terminal operators to address feedback from field workers, we are seeing improvements in both operational efficiency and worker satisfaction.” He added, “We will continue pursuing sustained, field-oriented initiatives to further improve logistics flow.”