Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries Eases Boarding Criteria for Foreign Crew on National Essential Ships

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced that the amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Maintenance of Shipping and Port Functions in Preparation for Emergencies has passed the Cabinet meeting on the 30th and will be promulgated and enforced on the 7th of next month.

Export containers are being loaded onto a ship at Busan North Port. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Until now, national essential vessels could have up to six foreign crew members per ship regardless of the vessel size. Going forward, except for the mandatory Korean crew members per ship (including the captain and chief engineer, totaling 11 people), the remaining crew members can be foreign seafarers. National essential vessels are a system operated to ensure the stable transportation of key goods during wartime or other emergencies or when there is a significant disruption to shipping and port functions.

This amendment to the enforcement decree is a follow-up measure based on the tripartite agreement reached last November among the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the Korea Maritime Seafarers' Union Federation, and the Korea Shipping Association. The tripartite agreement includes shortening the seafarers' boarding period to four months, expanding paid leave to two days per month, and specifying the number of national crew members who must board national essential vessels.