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SEOUL, Oct. 22 (Yonhap) - A Swedish tanker operated by a South Korean company came to South Korea on Tuesday, after sailing through the Arctic, said an official of the company, successfully completing the first pilot service South Korea in the north polar route that has great potential for cost savings and time to South Korean shipping companies.

The ship arrived at the South Korean port of Gwangyang, 35 days after it left the port of Ust-Luga in Russia, carrying 44,000 tonnes of naphtha for local petrochemical company, according to Hyundai Glovis Co., a shipping unit of Hyundai Motor Group.

"The passage means the development of a new route in the history of South Korean logistics," said Kang Sung-gon, a spokesman for Hyundai Glovis.

Currently, the South Korean vessels using conventional navigation route through the Indian Ocean and the Suez Canal before arriving in Europe, a trip that takes about 45 days.

In comparison, the Arctic route can reduce travel time by 10 days, which helps to reduce shipping time and costs, said Kang.

Jeon Ki- jong, a Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of South Korea, said the trip helped South Korea to gain knowledge on how to conduct shipping operations in arctic conditions on the route to the Pole North.

The Arctic route has become a possible alternative to the Suez Canal, though it may take time before carrying out any commercial navigation, the route can be used only for a maximum of five months a year and ships need help of icebreakers, maritime experts say .

South Korea currently operates the icebreaker Araon, but mainly for search and rescue missions. No private South Korean shipping company has an icebreaker.

However, the Arctic route could provide business opportunities for Glovis Hyundai and other South Korean companies in the long term, said Kang.