West Sea Coast Guard Agency Conducts Safety Management Activities to Prepare for Maritime Accidents

End of Special Alert... Ongoing Immediate Response Readiness

The West Sea Regional Coast Guard Agency (Chief Lee Myungjun) announced on the 18th that it had carried out intensive safety management activities in preparation for and rapid response to maritime accidents during the "Special Maritime Safety Alert" period, which lasted for about a month until the 15th.

The Special Maritime Safety Alert was implemented to prevent similar accidents and establish thorough on-site preparedness and response posture, following a series of maritime accidents with casualties in Yeosu, Buan, and other areas last month, which heightened public concern over maritime safety.

On the 13th of last month, a search for missing persons at night was conducted following a fishing boat fire accident near Wangdeungdo, Buan. Provided by the West Sea Regional Coast Guard.

Accordingly, the agency strengthened on-site response capabilities by conducting intensive safety management activities such as ▲focused on-site inspections at accident-prone locations (161 inspections at 326 sites) ▲joint fishing vessel safety inspections with related agencies (30 inspections on 43 vessels) ▲SOS emergency button pressing drills (494 vessels), and ▲inspections and special crackdowns (521 vessels, 142 violations detected).

In particular, in the waters off Yeosu and Buan, where accidents occurred last month, search activities are still being conducted in parallel with patrols, and thanks to the preventive efforts of the Coast Guard and other related agencies, no additional accidents involving casualties have occurred.

The agency also focused on guidance and crackdowns on violations such as not wearing life jackets, overloading, exceeding passenger limits, and failing to report crew members, which are major risk factors for maritime accidents. In addition, training for fishermen on "pressing the SOS emergency button" and "wearing life jackets" was strengthened to raise awareness of maritime safety.

Lee Myungjun, Chief of the West Sea Regional Coast Guard Agency, personally recorded safety promotion broadcast messages, which are aired more than four times a day for vessels departing in the jurisdictional waters with the cooperation of the Mokpo Fisheries Safety Operation Bureau. He repeatedly urged, "Be sure to wear life jackets, move to safe waters during marine weather advisories, and in case of emergencies, immediately press the SOS emergency button to send a distress signal."