South Korea on Saturday was set to send its first trial container through the Arctic as the Middle East war has rattled global shipping – sending governments and shipping firms scrambling to seek alternative…

The Northern Sea Route, chiefly used by Chinese and Russian vessels, could shorten voyages and save fuel, but requires Russian cooperation.

South Korea will flag off on Saturday a container ship bound for Europe via the Arctic, testing whether a route opened by melting sea ice can be commercially v