[Opinion] 70 Years of the Coast Guard Toward a Safe and Clean Sea of Hope

Jeong Cho-yeong, Professor at Gunsan University / Policy Advisory Member of Buan Coast Guard

The Korea Coast Guard has celebrated its 70th anniversary. The 10th of this month marks the founding anniversary of the Coast Guard. There is a saying that "even mountains and rivers change in ten years," and indeed, the Coast Guard has undergone seven major transformations.

Since its establishment in 1953 as the Ministry of the Interior's Security Bureau Coast Guard, it went through the period under the Ministry of Commerce's Maritime Affairs Office (1955?1962), then back to the Ministry of the Interior Coast Guard (1962?1991), the Coast Guard under the National Police Agency (1991?1996), the Coast Guard under the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (1996?2014), the Coast Guard Safety Headquarters under the Ministry of Public Safety and Security (2014?2017), and currently, it is organized as the Coast Guard under the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (2017?present).

At its founding in 1953, the Coast Guard operated six 180-ton patrol boats transferred from the Navy. Currently, it operates a total of 354 vessels, including 36 large ships, 42 medium ships, 110 small ships, and 166 special vessels, as well as 25 aircraft, including 6 airplanes and 19 helicopters.

In 1953, there were seven bases under the Coast Guard Commander, but now the Coast Guard has developed into an organization consisting of five regional Coast Guard headquarters and 21 Coast Guard stations (including the West Sea 5 Islands Special Security Unit).

In its early days, the Coast Guard focused on cracking down on foreign fishing vessels violating the Peace Line and protecting fishery resources. Currently, it undertakes various duties as a comprehensive maritime administrative agency, including maritime sovereignty protection, maritime search and rescue, coastal safety management, vessel traffic control, maintaining maritime order, preventing, suppressing, and investigating maritime-related crimes, and preventing and responding to marine pollution.

While land security is handled by the National Police Agency, rescue and safety by the Fire Agency, and environmental protection by the Ministry of Environment, all duties related to security, rescue, safety, and environmental protection at sea are performed by the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard has continuously developed as an indispensable entity in the lives of the people.

The current advanced Coast Guard did not come about by chance. Our Korea Coast Guard has made its best efforts so far for a "safe sea" amid rough waves.

In 1960, near Eocheongdo, Gunsan-si, Jeonbuk Province, two Coast Guard officers aboard the 701 ship were killed and three seriously injured in a firefight with Chinese fishing vessels. In 1974, near Goseong, Gangwon Province, the 863 ship sank during a battle with three North Korean warships, resulting in six deaths and 22 missing.

In 1976, near Deokjeokdo, Ongjin-gun, Incheon Metropolitan City, Lieutenant Son Jin-geuk evacuated about 60 fishing vessels and 10 crew members amid 20 m/s strong winds and 5 m high waves, sacrificing himself along with the sinking 561 ship. In 1980, near Geojin Port, Sokcho-si, Gangwon Province, the 72 patrol boat sank after colliding with nearby vessels due to bad weather while on duty protecting fishing activities, with all 17 crew members missing.

In 2008, near Gageodo, Sinan-gun, Jeonnam Province, Lieutenant Park Kyung-jo of the 3003 ship was killed by a weapon wielded by a Chinese crew member while boarding an illegal fishing Chinese vessel to suppress illegal fishing. In 2011, near Chagwido, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, an AW-139 helicopter crashed into the sea while transporting an emergency patient, resulting in the deaths of two police officers aboard and three missing.

In the same year, near Socheongdo, Incheon Metropolitan City, Sergeant Lee Cheong-ho of the 3005 ship was killed by a weapon attack from a Chinese captain while entering the wheelhouse to suppress an illegally fishing Chinese vessel. In 2015, near the southern breakwater of Gageodo, Sinan-gun, Jeonnam Province, a B-511 helicopter crashed into the sea while dispatched for emergency patient transport, killing all four police officers aboard.

The Coast Guard has always been present at various marine pollution accidents. These include the 1995 incident near Sorido, Yeosu-si, Jeollanam-do, where the oil tanker Sea Prince ran aground, spilling over 5,000 tons of bunker A/C oil and crude oil; the 2007 incident near Taean-gun, Chungnam Province, where the tugboats Samsung T-5 and Samho T-3 collided with the towed barge Samsung 1 and the oil tanker Hebei Spirit, spilling a total of 12,547㎘ of crude oil; and the incident at Gwangyang Port, Jeonnam Province, where the oil tanker Uisanho damaged the land oil pipeline after contacting the No. 2 berth dolphin, causing a large oil spill.

The Coast Guard has made efforts on the front lines, working day and night on containment operations to create a "clean sea" during various marine pollution accidents.

Our country, surrounded by the sea on three sides, has achieved economic development by "going out to the sea" and has enjoyed peace by "firmly protecting the sea," as history explains.

For this beautiful "sea of hope," I sincerely want to express my gratitude to the Coast Guard, which has been with us for 70 years.

With continuous efforts toward the goal of a "safe and clean sea of hope," I sincerely hope that the 70 years of the Coast Guard, "today better than yesterday, and tomorrow better than today," will create a happy sea.

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