Busan has been selected to host the general conference of the Worldwide Network of Port Cities (AIVP), the largest international cooperation platform among the world's port cities. It marks the first time the event will be held in Korea and the first time in Asia in 25 years, a development seen as strengthening Busan's international foundation for its leap toward becoming a global maritime capital.
According to the Busan Metropolitan City on Wednesday, Busan was unanimously confirmed as the host of the 2027 conference at the "2026 AIVP First General Conference," held online the previous day.
Busan won the hosting rights over rival cities including Seville in Spain, Abidjan in Ivory Coast, France's Réunion, and Oslo in Norway. It is the first time a Korean city has won an AIVP conference. It is also the first time the event will be held in Asia since Dalian, China, in 2002.
Founded in 1988, AIVP is the world's largest port city network, comprising 197 member organizations across 44 countries. It is regarded as an international body where local governments, port operating agencies, and experts discuss sustainable development strategies for ports and cities.
After joining the AIVP board of directors last year, the city formed a bid preparation team with the Busan Tourism Organization and conducted bidding activities in cooperation with the Korea Tourism Organization, the Busan Port Authority (BPA), and the Busan Regional Office of Oceans and Fisheries.
In particular, at the board meeting held in Antwerp, Belgium, in May, Busan's bid presentation containing its maritime capital vision — including its eco-friendly smart port, North Port redevelopment, and marine tourism — along with individual negotiations with member organizations, is analyzed to have played a decisive role in the host selection.
The city plans to begin full-scale preparations, including responding to an on-site inspection by the AIVP secretariat in September and officially declaring the Busan hosting at the conference in Dunkirk, France, in November.
At the 2027 conference, the city plans to showcase Busan's maritime vision to the world, including the competitiveness of Busan Port, the world's second-largest transshipment port, its eco-friendly smart port strategy, North Port redevelopment, and the establishment of a global logistics platform.
"Hosting the AIVP conference, the world's largest port city network, will be an important turning point for Busan's leap toward becoming a global maritime capital," Mayor Jun Jae-soo said. "We will gather the capabilities of the government and related agencies to create the best conference ever."
