The Meeting of Asian Maritime Security Agency Heads Opens in Incheon... First Domestic Hosting

The 20th Asia Coast Guard Agencies Meeting (HACGAM) opened on the 3rd at Paradise City in Yeongjongdo, Incheon.

On this day, about 200 participants from 21 organizations attended, including Kim Jong-wook, Commissioner of the Korea Coast Guard, heads of maritime security agencies from Asian countries, and representatives of international organizations.

HACGAM, held in Korea for the first time, continues until the 6th under the slogan "Cultivating Our Seas and Securing the Future." The attending agency heads plan to share each country's systems and strengthen cooperation across five areas: maritime crime prevention, search and rescue, environmental protection, information sharing, and capacity building.

On the morning of the 3rd, at the opening ceremony of the "20th Asia Coast Guard Agencies Chiefs Meeting" held at Paradise City in Yeongjongdo, Jung-gu, Incheon, Kim Jong-wook, Commissioner of the Korea Coast Guard, and chiefs of agencies from various countries are taking a commemorative photo.
[Photo by Korea Coast Guard]

HACGAM is the only maritime cooperation multilateral consultative body in Asia, established in 2004 for maritime crime prevention and rescue cooperation, with 22 member countries registered, including Korea, China, and Japan.

Prior to this heads of agencies meeting, in June, experts in five fields held in-depth discussions on cooperation measures in maritime security in Songdo, Incheon.

In his opening remarks, Commissioner Kim Jong-wook said, "The sea and oceans are never a stage for disputes and conflicts but precious assets that we all must share together," adding, "I hope the Asia Coast Guard Agencies Meeting will be a meaningful time to derive the best solutions by adding strategies and ideas to jointly respond to new maritime security and safety threats we face."