52. HÃNG TÀU THỨ 52 – DONGJIN SHIPPING

Dongjin Shipping was established in 1984 under Korea’s shipping-industry rationalization program. The carrier describes its business as joint operation of container and bulk cargo services covering Japan, China and Southeast Asia, with ISO 9001 and ISM-based safety management across its fleet.

Its operating DNA is regional rather than global: frequent port calls, sub-2,000 TEU tonnage, dense Northeast Asian rotations and extensive vessel-sharing / slot cooperation. This makes Dongjin more comparable with other Korean intra-Asia specialists than with global mainline carriers.

Data note: Alphaliner defines capacity as TEU available on board operated ships and consolidates relevant fleets. Dongjin’s own vessel page separately identifies individual owned ships. Differences between ranking capacity, owned fleet and vessels deployed in joint services should therefore be expected.

• Korea–Japan is the historic backbone, with multiple Keihin, Hanshin and Kanmon-focused services.

• China services include Korea–China–Japan and Korea–Ningbo/Shanghai patterns, plus wider intra-Asia rotations.

• Southeast Asia portfolio includes Korea–Vietnam–Thailand and Korea–China–Indonesia connectivity, often in cooperation with peer Korean carriers.

DONGJIN SHIPPING  |  VIETNAM & PRACTICAL USE

KVT1 – Korea Vietnam Thailand Service: Kwangyang → Busan → Hong Kong → Ho Chi Minh (Cat Lai) → Laem Chabang → Bangkok → Laem Chabang → Ho Chi Minh → Kwangyang. The official proforma schedule shows a scheduled Cat Lai call on both southbound and northbound legs.

Hai Phong Northeast Asia service – launched 28 March 2026 at Tan Vu Terminal: Incheon → Qingdao → Hai Phong → Shekou → Xiamen → Incheon. Port of Hai Phong states that Dongjin cooperates with Dongyoung Shipping and Pan Continental Shipping on this service.

• Phù hợp khi shipment nằm trên intra-Asia lanes, đặc biệt Korea–Vietnam, Korea–Japan/China và khi lịch regional service cho transit thực tế tốt hơn phương án relay qua mega-hub.

• Không nên chỉ nhìn freight: kiểm tra service code, actual vessel, operator từng leg và việc Dongjin là vessel operator hay slotter. Joint service có thể khiến tên carrier trên B/L khác đơn vị vận hành tàu.

• Với Hải Phòng, tuyến mới 2026 tạo direct connectivity nhưng cần theo dõi độ ổn định rotation, cut-off và khả năng thay đổi vessel trong giai đoạn service còn đang xây market share.

• Với Cat Lai, nên kiểm tra kỹ chiều đi/chiều về của KVT1, terminal cut-off, CY receiving window và transit tới Kwangyang/Busan hoặc Laem Chabang/Bangkok thay vì suy ra từ tên service.

• Regional carriers có lợi thế tần suất và port coverage nhưng thường nhạy hơn với blank sailing, vessel substitution và missed connection khi dùng feeder/slot cooperation. Buffer time phải được tính vào planning.

• DEM/DET, free time, local charges và equipment availability phải xác nhận trên booking / tariff tại thời điểm shipment; e-Service của Dongjin có module riêng cho demurrage inquiry và surcharge search.

Primary sources used: Dongjin Shipping official website (company greeting, vessel list, overseas office/agency list, KVT1 route and e-Service); BIC Registry (DJLU); Port of Hai Phong announcement dated 28 Mar 2026; Alphaliner Top 100 public page dated 25 Aug 2026. Where the public Alphaliner text feed did not expose Dongjin’s exact row, this handbook does not invent an exact rank/TEU figure.