Ministry of Justice's No.1 Immigration Surveillance Ship 'Hwang Ok-ho' Launched at Busan Port... First Time in 40 Years

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] On the 1st, the Ministry of Justice held a commissioning ceremony for the Ministry of Justice's first immigration control patrol boat, "Hwang Ok-ho," at the Busan Port pier.

Hwang Ok-ho is a patrol boat that performs immigration control duties targeting vessels departing overseas within the jurisdiction of the Busan Immigration and Foreigners Office.

The Ministry of Justice has operated its own patrol boats at five ports?Busan Port, Incheon Port, Yeosu Port, Mukho Port, and Jeju Port?since 1964 for vessel immigration inspections. In 1983, these were transferred to the Korea Customs Service.

After the transfer, the Ministry of Justice lacked its own mobile means and was practically unable to conduct immigration inspections of crew and passengers on vessels docked at foreign ports or maritime patrols to prevent unauthorized departures. Therefore, the commissioning of Hwang Ok-ho this time is highly significant.

Park Beom-gye, Minister of Justice, said, "It is very meaningful that the Ministry of Justice is directly operating a patrol boat for the first time in 40 years," and urged, "Please do your best to develop the port vessel management system to a level equal to or higher than airport immigration inspections."

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