Dandong Ferry enjoys special boom in Sinuiju

By means of North Korea’s designation of its northwestern city of Sinuiju as a special administrative region, Dandong Ferry, which runs car-ferry vessels between Inchon and Dandong, is encountering special demands in North Korea.

Dandong Ferry Inc, is expecting the Sinuiju special administrative region to pick up by using its car-ferry vessels for businessmen and tourists as Dandong is located opposite Sinuiju with the Aprok river between them. As a matter of fact, after September 19 when the Sinuiju was announced as a special region, passengers on board numbered between 200 and 220, an increase of 30% above normal, with continuing inquiries from both the press and businessmen.

The shipping company plans to maintain this increase with 30% cheaper fares, 115,000 won to to 210,000 won for one-way ticket than plane and to keep issuing visas on board.

Dandong trade was launched on July 1998 after Weihai, Tianjin, and Dalian. In the first year, it carried 16,945 passengers in the first year, then 61,576 in 1999, 71,629 in 2000 and 84,627 in 2001. Though passenger numbers have continuously improved, the ferry has restricted passengers, usually peddlers.

For example, during the first 8 months this year when the Customs service cracked-down on peddlers, passengers fell to 39,426, a 32% decline over the same period of last year.

Dandong Ferry is preparing to replace a vessel with a more luxurious in this route in order to promote it for tourists. Mr. Kim Kwangrae, sales manager for the Dandong Inchon branch said that Dandong is a fascinating place with its neighbor being North Korea. Dandong is expected to be one of 7 trades between Inchon and China.