Shining Example of Port Management

Pres. Suh of Gyeonggi Pyeongtaek Port Corp. wins the Silver Medal at Ocean Day for his brilliant achievement in port management

President Suh Jeong-ho of the Gyeonggi Pyeongtaek Port Corp. entered public service in 1975 and, in the ensuing 34 years, helped to set up the basic framework for the maritime shipping and harbor administrative systems in Korea by holding various positions in those areas, read the citation for his Industrial Service Merit Silver Tower Medal. He was awarded the medal at the 14th Ocean Day on May 31.
He came up through the ranks of the maritime administration including such key positions as director-general of the Maritime and Logistics Bureau and deputy minister of the Office of Planning and Management of the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs. Many of his achievements include the conclusion of the Korea-China maritime agreement before the opening of diplomatic relations between the two neighboring countries, paving the way for the opening of the car ferry and container vessel routes under policies set up with Suh's help; the introduction of a port authority system; improvement of the management system for the safety of ships; the launch of shipping investment companies; and the basic framework for the shipping and harbor management systems.
Suh always believed that public companies should simultaneously uphold both the public's interest and seek profitability, as the port is also a commodity. He reflected the new paradigm in his port management style and played a key role in making the Incheon Port Authority profitable in its operations in just three years through the sale of port services and the lease of land attached to the port authority, which boosted the profit of the volume of container cargoes coming in and out of Incheon Port by more than an annual average of 20 percent.
Suh also had his hand in the formulation of the policy to build a tourism belt linking Mt. Wolmi, the Wolmi Island Tourism District, the Oceanic Science Hall and the Museum of Immigration History by developing the lock of the Incheon Harbor and its vicinity as a friendly space. He was also responsible for allowing the land belonging to the port corporation to be used as part of Incheon City's plan to create a water friendly space around the beach area and a green buffer zone around the Aam Logistics Complex container cargo terminal.
Suh also made the bidding for the use of land related to port logistics transparent by opening information and introducing an electronic bidding system so that the management of land use will be made fair.
He listed the information on bidding on the port corporation's Internet homepage, thus securing public trust in the management of land owned by the port corporation.
Suh also built various facilities in the Aam Logistics Complex including refrigerated warehouses, container storage bases and resting places for trucks to make it an integrated logistics terminal. He also removed the storage for timbers in the logistics complex to make room for a backup base for the port.
President Suh also has been given credit for having the port corporation conduct intensive marketing around the world to diversify the sailing routes from the port and designated a non-iron handling port by the London Metal Exchange, which increased the cargoes coming in and out of the port. He also was able to have stevedoring union cooperate to the extent that suppliers and agents working inside the port to boost the productivity, cut down costs of stevedoring and improve the harbor services for customers by introducing the market principle management system in an attempt to win public trust in the port corp. and its operations. nw

President Suh Jeong-ho of the Gyeonggi Pyeongtaek Port Corp. recieves Industrial Merit Silver Tower Medal.

President Suh Jeong-ho of the Gyeonggi Pyeongtaek Port Corp.