Mokpo Coast Guard Strengthens Safety Management of Passenger and Cargo Ships in Winter

Preventing Maritime Accidents through Proactive Safety Management

Mokpo Maritime Police Station (Chief Kwon Oh-seong) is launching safety inspections to strengthen the safety management of passenger and ferry vessels as the likelihood of accidents increases during the winter season.

According to the Maritime Police on the 17th, the inspections will be conducted over 54 days until February 7 next year, following a promotional period with concurrent inspections until the 22nd. The inspection targets include 4 passenger vessels, 8 ferries, and 11 passenger and ferry terminals, totaling 23 locations within the jurisdiction.

Mokpo Coast Guard is conducting a safety inspection of the cruise ship. Photo by Mokpo Coast Guard Station

In the past three years (2021?2023), among the 5 maritime accidents involving passenger and ferry vessels in the Mokpo area, there have been no winter season fire accidents on these vessels. However, there is a high likelihood of fires caused by increased use of heating devices and open flames due to the sharp drop in temperature, as well as falls and slips caused by battery discharge and freezing of boarding and disembarking facilities. Frequent adverse weather conditions at sea and low water temperatures increase the risk of casualties in maritime accidents, making careful safety management essential.

During the inspection period, Mokpo Maritime Police will strive to prevent accidents this year as well by conducting on-site safety management inspections, attaching stickers indicating ferry passenger capacity, and strengthening the management of multi-use vessel operations, including controlling departures during adverse weather conditions.

A Mokpo Maritime Police official stated, “The use of electric heating devices increases during winter, raising the risk of fire and explosion. In particular, if a fire occurs on a docked vessel, there is a significant risk of chain accidents between ships.” He urged, “We hope that passenger and ferry vessel stakeholders will participate in accident prevention through regular inspections.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.