Korea Island Promotion Agency-National Assembly Island Development Research Group Hold Public Ferry System Forum

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] A discussion on the Yoon Seok-yeol administration's national agenda of ‘Public Operation System for Coastal Passenger Ships and Zero Isolation of Maritime Transport Islands (Islands)’ was held at the National Assembly.

The Korea Island Development Institute (KIDI, President Oh Dong-ho) announced on the 16th that it held a joint discussion with the National Assembly Island Development Research Group (Representative Assemblyman Seo Samsuk) in the 2nd Small Conference Room of the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Seoul.

On this day, the discussion was held in compliance with COVID-19 prevention measures, attended by about 50 people including Cho Seung-hwan, Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, Park Woo-ryang, Mayor of Shinan County, 10 members of the National Assembly belonging to the Island Development Research Group, executives and staff of the Korea Island Development Institute, local government officials, and island residents.

The discussion was organized to discuss the introduction and direction of the public operation system, which forms the basic conditions for transportation in island areas, as well as measures for its early realization, since the ‘Public Operation System for Coastal Passenger Ships’ is included in the national agenda.

Passenger ships and ferries are the only means of transportation connecting islands and the mainland. According to the revision of the ‘Act on the Promotion and Use of Public Transportation’ in April 2020, passenger ships were incorporated into public transportation, but among about 460 inhabited islands, there are about 240 non-stop islands where passenger ships do not call.

The discussion, held under the theme ‘Early Realization of Public Operation System for Passenger Ships to Strengthen the Mobility Rights of Island Residents,’ featured presentations by ▲ Kim Tae-il, Head of the Shipping Promotion Support Group at the Korea Maritime Institute (‘Policies to Strengthen the Mobility Rights of Island Residents’) and ▲ Noh Chang-gyun, Professor at Mokpo National Maritime University (‘Introduction of Public Operation System for Coastal Passenger Ships and Related Institutional Improvements’).

At the discussion chaired by Kang Jae-yoon, Director of the Island Research Institute, heated debates were held by ▲ Kim Yun-bae, Chief of KIOST Ulleungdo-Dokdo Marine Research Base ▲ Kim Kwang-nam, Former Gyeongsangnam-do Island Development Advisory Committee Member ▲ Choi Do-cheong, Head of Shinan County Transportation Support Promotion Team ▲ Byun Hye-jung, Director of Coastal Shipping Division at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries ▲ Lawyer Jo Young-kwan ▲ Kim Nam-hee, Head of Policy Research Office at the Korea Island Development Institute, among others.

Oh Dong-ho, President of the Korea Island Development Institute, said, “Island areas face numerous problems such as transportation, medical care, welfare, education, and security, and among these, transportation in island areas is one of the most disadvantaged conditions compared to the mainland,” adding, “Through this National Assembly discussion, I hope institutional improvements, full-scale research, and promotion projects to improve the living conditions of island residents will unfold.”

Representative Seo Samsuk said, “Even now, when we talk about cutting-edge technology, future science, and AI, island residents still do not have guaranteed basic transportation rights,” urging, “The state must take responsibility so that not a single citizen is left behind, and not only the public operation system for passenger ships but also the public operation system for ferries connecting small islands, including existing local government projects, must be implemented promptly.”

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