Captain sexually harasses female navigator and assaults foreign crew member... Coast Guard apprehends 57 people

Korea Coast Guard

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[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] The Korea Coast Guard announced on the 27th that it conducted a special crackdown on sexual crimes and human rights violations occurring on ships over two months starting from July this year, uncovering 48 cases and arresting 57 individuals.

The Coast Guard detained three people, including cargo ship captain A (66), on charges such as sexual assault, and booked 54 others, including fishing boat captain B (44), without detention on charges such as aggravated assault.

By type of crime, assault and injury against crew members accounted for 49 cases, making up 85% of the total, followed by sexual assault against female crew members and assault through abuse of authority in the workplace.

Mr. A is accused of forcibly groping a female navigator from behind on a cargo ship while underway. He also unbuttoned the uniform of the female navigator and hugged her neck while the cargo ship was docked.

Mr. B is accused of hitting a foreign crew member’s face and threatening him with a weapon after water splashed while cleaning the deck of a fishing boat.

The Coast Guard believes that female crew members and staff are reluctant to report incidents because they are a minority on cargo and passenger ships, making their identities easily exposed, which leads to secondary damage or difficulties in future reemployment.

Accordingly, the Coast Guard plans to establish a reporting system in cooperation with related organizations such as the Korea Seafarers Welfare and Employment Center and the Korea Ship Officers Association.

In particular, since it is difficult to report promptly when the incident occurs on a ship underway, victims of sexual assault are urged to report to any Coast Guard station nationwide or to a Sunflower Center.

A Coast Guard official stated, "We will continue to crack down on human rights violation crimes against seafarers," adding, "We will also collaborate with human rights organizations to establish a safety net for vulnerable groups such as female crew members and foreign seafarers."