＂Port Users’ Council” needed right now

A Port Users' Council is requisite immediately, said KMI researcher H.T. Kim. According to Kim, there are many parties interested in ports. Usually, in this case, conflict with each other is expected rather than coincidental. So it would be helpful for port development, even if "square", to discuss port development plans and lessen fricitions between the parties concerned. For all of these things, we need to form a council, said Kim.

First of all, we need to mediate interests between parties. Second, involved parties should put themselves in each other's shoes. Third, we are required to grasp what our counterparts want. Fourth, it is necessary to put into play policies that everyone can live with. Port policies usually affect the interests of the concerned. Fifth, it is required that decision making be done democratically.

At present, there are opportunities to collect different views on the topic. i.e. Legally the "Port Policy Council" was established to reflect the views of interested parties, though it has now become frivolous.

The main point is how to constitute and operate the "Port Users' Council". To figure it out, researcher Kim suggested that port authorities hold a meeting with 20 representatives from all areas of the shipping industry, such as domestic and foreign shipping lines, shippers, port operating companies, towing companies, pilots, stevedoring unions, and regional governments. The contents of the discussions might be port projects, port rates, marketing, port operating policies, procedures for inward and outward ports, and stevedoring manners.