South Korea has launched its first government-backed commercial container trial through the Arctic, sending the 2,758-TEU PanStar Acro from Busan New Port on Saturday toward Europe amid shipping disruptions tied to the Middle East conflict sparked by U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran in February. The vessel is carrying 837 TEUs of cargo, including auto parts, chemical products and about 100 empty containers, and is expected to complete the voyage in 40 to 45 days. It will sail past Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, cross the Bering Sea and follow the Northern Sea Route, calling at Felixstowe, Rotterdam and Gdansk before returning to Busan. President Lee Jae Myung has made Arctic shipping a priority as Seoul seeks to strengthen Busan’s role as a global maritime hub and establish the route as a regular trade corridor by 2030. The route can reduce the Asia-Europe journey by about 7,000 kilometers and 10 days, although access remains seasonal and dependent on ice conditions. Environmental groups have warned that expanded Arctic shipping could accelerate polar ice melt. The voyage is viewed as a test of whether the Arctic path can help shippers circumvent high-risk Middle East sea lanes and support more regular commercial use.