Samudera launches Korea–Japan container service

By Romel S. Gurky

SGX-listed Samudera Shipping Line Ltd, a unit of PT Samudera Indonesia Tbk (IDX: SMDR) has launched a new weekly container service connecting Japan and South Korea, expanding its intra-Asia network into Northeast Asia.

The Korea–Japan Shuttle (KJS) service will link Nagoya and Kobe in Japan with Busan in South Korea, with operations set to begin in April 2026.

Group CEO Bani Mulia said the service targets growing demand for reliable feeder connections between the two markets.

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“The Korea-Japan trade lane is an active and important corridor and the launch of the KJS service aligns with our focus of building a resilient and responsive intra-Asia network,” he said.

The company said the service is supported by committed cargo, providing a base load to ensure schedule reliability.

Samudera added that the launch reflects its strategy to expand its intra-Asia footprint in response to evolving customer demand while maintaining a disciplined growth approach.

Editing by Alexander Ginting