After the first opening of the pier used exclusively for containers 20 years ago, the number of containers controlled in Pusan Harbor is expected to exceed 10 million (based on 20 ft. containers) on Dec. 23. 
According to the Pusan Regional Maritime Affairs ＆ Fisheries Office on Dec. 9, a total of 8.56 million containers have been managed at Pusan Harbor until last October, and an additional 890,590 containers have been controlled in November, which leads to an accumulative quantity of 9.45 million containers in total. 
This is a 10.2% increase (8.58 million containers) as compared to the same period of last year. 
If records keep up to 880~900 thousand this month, Pusan Harbor will be able to pass over 10 million containers. 
It has been exactly 20 years since the last container pier; Jaseongdae pier has exceeded 10 million in 1982. 
If Pusan succeeds to break the 10 million containers line, it will prove that Pusan Harbor is gradually developing to an international harbor. 
First and second top world harbors, Hong Kong and Singapore has each managed 19 and 16 million containers last year, and Shanghai has outrun Pusan for the first time by crossing the 10 million line on Nov. 28. 

(Rest omitted) 

Source: Yonhap News Agency, December 9, 2003