Korea's oceans ministry has recently commissioned a research project aimed at devising strategies to promote the use of a possible arctic shipping route able to handle traffic in 2030, sources said Sunday. The project seeks to assess the commercial viability of such a route, including a survey on shipping companies and logistics firms in regard to using such a route, the sources said. Developing plans to establish a logistics network linked to ports in Northern Europe is also included among the project's objectives, they added. Arctic shipping routes are maritime paths through the Arctic Ocean that connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. In the case of Korea, they can reduce the distance between the country and Europe by around 35 percent compared to the conventional Suez Canal route. The routes have been in the spotlight as a major alternative waterway after changes to the climate raised hopes that ships will be able to transit the Arctic Ocean going forward. In addition, the ongoing tensions in the Middle East, which have affected shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait,