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[The Arctic Route - A New Global Game] The Arctic Route: As the ice melts, a new sea route opens up. The power struggles and the restructuring of the international order among the great powers. Can South Korea become a leader in the era of the Arctic Route? Currently, the fastest route from Asia to Europe is through the Suez Canal. However, with the melting of the Arctic ice, another option has emerged: the Arctic Route. The distance is reduced by two-thirds, and the travel time is shortened by more than 10 days. “Is the Arctic Route an opportunity or a crisis? It’s a strange answer, but it could be both.” Tim Marshall / Journalist, Author of “The Power of Geography” Powerful nations around the world are paying close attention to this new sea route. Russia, which controls more than half of the Arctic Ocean coastline, is asserting strong control, while the United States is targeting Greenland, which could become a key military and economic hub. China has declared an “Ice Silk Road” and dreams of dominating future trade routes. What will the new world order emerge in the wake of the disappearing ice? We visited the Arctic countries of Iceland, Norway, and Finland to capture the new global game surrounding the Northern Sea Route. ■ The Price of Melting: Crisis or Opportunity? Iceland, a land shaped by volcanoes and glaciers. Situated at the intersection of the Arctic and Atlantic shipping routes, it faces both crisis and opportunity at the forefront of climate change. We visited Vatnajökull National Park, the vast ice kingdom that symbolizes Iceland. Glaciers, which have accumulated, melted, and refrozen for thousands of years, are collapsing at an ever-increasing rate. Since the late 19th century, Iceland has lost approximately 16% of its ice mass, a loss sufficient to raise sea levels by approximately 1 millimeter. “Some scientists say that in 200 years, there may be no glaciers left in Iceland. Then we should change our name. Perhaps something like ‘Land of Volcanoes.’” Asta Melaki / Icelandic Glacier Guide However, this change also presents an opportunity for Iceland. The opening of the Northern Sea Route will allow for significantly more ships and people to enter and exit this tourism-dependent region. "This shipping route will bring many benefits to Iceland. It will definitely increase shipping traffic, which opens up opportunities as a hub." Lily Arterstöter / Icelandic Parliament Member, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Economic Affairs ■ Frontier: The Borderline Hidden Under the Ice The Reitan Underground Bunker, a secret military base built during the Cold War in the 1960s, was the first to successfully photograph the Reitan Underground Bunker. This is where the defense strategy of NATO, the collective defense alliance of Norway and the Arctic countries, is commanded in real time. Norway is a strategic hub connecting the North Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean. Since the Cold War, Arctic countries have referred to Norway as the "Guardian of the Northern Front." This is because it is the front line of the Arctic Ocean, facing Russia militarily. As the Arctic ice melts, the hidden borderline between NATO and Russia has emerged above the surface. "Russia is currently preoccupied with the war in Ukraine, but it can prioritize its submarine fleet. It's even said that the Kola Peninsula has the world's largest nuclear weapons arsenal." Admiral Lilna Andersen / Commander, Joint Operations Headquarters, Norway In 2007, a manned deep-sea submersible planted a Russian flag on the Arctic Ocean floor. In 2021, three nuclear-powered submarines simultaneously breached 1.5 meters of ice and surfaced, demonstrating the Russian military's ability to withstand extreme Arctic weather conditions. NATO is also on high alert. Norway conducts its largest-ever cold-weather exercise, the Joint Viking Exercise, every two years, and in 2022, it reached its largest scale since the Cold War. NATO's large-scale joint exercises, the Nordic Response Exercise, are also held in areas adjacent to Russia. This is a message of deterrence against Russia and a demonstration of the alliance's internal readiness. ■ Giants of the Arctic: Icebreakers Paving the Way for the Northern Sea Route Finland has been a leader in icebreaking technology for over 100 years. We visited Aker Arctic, a key company involved in over 50% of global icebreaker projects. "Unfortunately, climate change could make icebreakers an interesting option in the future." Mika Hovilainen / CEO of Aker Arctic Few countries globally possess icebreakers. However, with the opening of the Northern Sea Route, competition to secure them has intensified. Russia has the largest fleet of icebreakers and is the world's only operator of nuclear icebreakers. As China seeks to dominate maritime trade with icebreakers, Canada and the United States have also recently announced additional construction. Of note is South Korea's icebreaker technology. "Korea d...