[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] The government is pushing for measures to directly sanction Koreans operating in the maritime area of the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa, where pirate kidnapping incidents targeting Korean seafarers have been frequently occurring.
According to multiple government officials on the 21st, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, among other related departments, are considering imposing fines and suspending licenses for Koreans operating in the "high-risk pirate waters" of the Gulf of Guinea. The fines are reported to be in the range of several million won.
On July 3rd, the government designated 323,000 km² of the Gulf of Guinea, encompassing West African countries such as Cameroon, Nigeria, Togo, and Benin, as a high-risk pirate area and recommended suspension of operations.
However, since the measure lacks enforceability and Korean operations have continued, leading to ongoing kidnapping incidents, the government is understood to have taken a tougher stance.
It is estimated that about 140 Koreans are still operating around the high-risk pirate waters.
A government official stated, "Since legal amendments are necessary, it will take some time before sanctions are actually applied on site."
Meanwhile, the government has dispatched the Korea Coast Guard to the Korean Embassy in Ghana, a coastal country of the Gulf of Guinea. This is the first time the government has sent the Coast Guard abroad to respond to pirate incidents.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
