Maritime education and training (MET) for seafarers who operate ships has struggled to flexibly adapt to technological and environmental changes. In particular, as social demand for online MET arose due to COVID-19, the need for sustainable MET beyond traditional teaching methods grew exponentially. In order to identify the most optimal MET methods among face-to-face and online methods, this study reviewed the concepts and applications of existing MET methods, grouped them using a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process, and supplemented this structure through a designed survey. The results showed that the online methods had the greatest weight, and the “XR (extended reality) within the metaverse” teaching method had the highest priority. This study identified which MET methods should be prepared for the post-COVID era through quantitative analysis. We confirmed the need for attention to XR within the metaverse as a field of online methods in the future. Furthermore, our findings reveal that online education platforms via metaverse-based “expansion” and “connection” are needed, and pave the way for future research to expand empirical studies on MET satisfaction regarding existing International Maritime Organization model courses.

Strengthened International Maritime Organization environmental regulations, the Poseidon principles, and other environmental changes require shipping companies to expand their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investments. ESG management is evolving as an essential requirement to enhance the competitiveness of global liner shipping companies. Under these circumstances, this study aims to provide policy guidelines and future directions for the development of ESG management in Korean shipping companies. Accordingly, we selected four companies under THE Alliance, which is an ESG standard leader in shipping. Based on each shipping company’s sustainability reports from 2019 to 2021, we analyzed the major ESG performance factors required for a company to achieve its sustainability goals, developing four research questions. Based on multiple case study theory, we compared each company’s ESG management status and main characteristics using the quadruple helix model, proposing three measures to improve the ESG management of Korean shipping companies: 1. Cultivate ESG experts specialized in the maritime field; 2. Strengthen support for small- and medium-sized companies; 3. Construct a maritime-specialized ESG evaluation system and introduce voluntary management culture. Our findings contribute to the maritime industry’s development by identifying necessary factors and proposing improvement directions that will help Korean shipping companies to secure global competitiveness.

Amid structural changes driven by the greening and digital transformation of the maritime industry, the demand for career transitions of seafarers with onboard experience to shore-based positions—particularly ship superintendents—is steadily increasing. However, the current lack of a systematic education and career development framework to support such transitions poses a critical challenge for shipping companies seeking to secure sustainable human resources. The aim of this study was to develop a competency-based training program that facilitates the effective transition of seafarers to shore-based ship superintendent roles. We integrated a developing a curriculum (DACUM) analysis with competency-based job analysis to achieve this aim. The core competencies required for ship superintendent duties were identified through three expert consultations. In addition, social network analysis (SNA) was used to quantitatively assess the structure and priority of the training content. The analysis revealed that convergent competencies, such as digital technology literacy, responsiveness to environmental regulations, multicultural organizational management, and interpretation of global maritime regulations, are essential for a successful career shift. Based on these findings, a modular training curriculum comprising both common foundational courses and specialized advanced modules tailored to job categories was designed. The proposed curriculum integrated theoretical instruction, practical training, and reflective learning to enhance both applied understanding and onsite implementation capabilities. Furthermore, the concept of a Seafarer Success Support Platform was proposed to support a lifecycle-based career development pathway that enables rotational mobility between sea and shore positions. This digital learning platform was designed to offer personalized success pathways aligned with the career stages and competency needs of maritime personnel. Its cyclical structure, comprising career transition, competency development, field application, and performance evaluation, enables seamless career integration between shipboard- and shore-based roles. Therefore, the platform has the potential to evolve into a practical educational model that integrates training, career development, and policies. This study contributes to maritime human resource development by integrating the DACUM method with a competency-based framework and applying social network analysis (SNA) to quantitatively prioritize training content. It further proposes the Seafarer Success Support Platform as an innovative model to support structured career transitions from shipboard roles to shore-based supervisory positions.

The onboard training environment is important for the continuity of cadets’ maritime careers and for the wider industry. Various studies have been conducted with the aim of improving the onboard training environment of cadets in various respects including education, health and safety, and sexual harassment. However, there is a lack of research that details the problems associated with onboard training and how the safety of cadets is managed in the field. Descriptive and non-parametric statistics were used to analyze the data from 284 cadets from maritime universities and 41 shipping company employees in South Korea collected between March and July 2020. The results show that many cadets are not guaranteed enough rest time and the provision of personal protective equipment. In addition, some companies consider cadets to be crew members or temporary workers. To improve the training environment, recommendations include the evaluation of the ship’s environment to establish whether it is suitable for training, constant monitoring of whether the onboard training guidelines are maintained in the field, strengthening of preventive education on human rights violations, and expanding efforts continuously not only to physically improve the onboard training environment but systematically manage cadets as students.

The LNG price is basically determined based on the oil price, but other than that, it is also determined by the influence of the method of LNG transportation; storage; processes; and political, economic, and geographical instability. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) may not reflect its market value if the destination of the purchase is restricted or the purchase contract includes a take-or-pay clause. Furthermore, it is difficult for the buyer to flexibly manage procurement, resulting in the decoupling of oil and natural gas prices. Therefore, as the LNG bunker price is expected to be more volatile than the marine bunker price in the future, shipping companies need to prepare countermeasures based on scientific forecasting techniques. This study aims to be the first to analyze the forecasting of short-term LNG bunker prices using recurrent neural network (RNN) models suitable for highly volatile data such as time series. Predictive analysis was performed using simple RNN, long short-term memory (LSTM), and gated recurrent unit (GRU) models, which effectively forecast time-series data, and the prediction performance of LSTM among the three models was excellent. LSTM had relatively excellent prediction performance of outliers and beyond. In addition, it was possible to effectively manage ship operating costs with improved forecasting in practice. Furthermore, this study contributes to establishing a systematic strategy for supervisors in global shipping companies, port authorities, and LNG bunkering companies.

Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS), an emerging area of digital advancement in shipping and shipbuilding industries, presents a different legal paradigm from that of existing ships. Existing maritime-related industries, including shipping, shipbuilding, and logistics, based on large hardware called ships, are rapidly changing into highly autonomous software-centered structures. This study is focused on analyzing the legal issues in preparation for MASS’ commercial operations in the future by applying comparative methods centered on the Republic of Korea and the United Kingdom. The study’s results contribute to the criteria for the manufacturing responsibility of autonomous ship-embedded software and a desirable legal policy improvement plan. Various legal issues and macro legal policy directions related to software product liability were identified. The study also presents concrete implementation strategies to achieve an ideological harmony and a balance between equitable damage relief and the advancement of related technologies to ensure maritime safety in the maritime industry. Based on the issues identified and their legal policy alternatives, it is hoped that the institutional ideal of product liability, which promotes technological advancement and protects consumer rights, is realized in the software domain as well.