[Opinion] The 70th Anniversary of the Korea Coast Guard, Standing at Their New Starting Point

Jung Byung-hong, Chairman of the Policy Advisory Committee, Changwon Maritime Police Station, Gyeongnam.
[Photo by Changwon Maritime Police Station]

The Korea Coast Guard, established on December 23, 1953, to crack down on illegal fishing vessels from Japan invading the waters off Namhae and to prevent the infiltration of North Korean operatives, celebrates its 70th anniversary this year.

Starting with the establishment of the Busan Ministry of the Interior Security Bureau Coast Guard Unit, it has strived for the past 70 years to protect the maritime safety and sovereignty of the Republic of Korea.

The Changwon Coast Guard Station, which opened in December 2012, is the youngest among the 19 Coast Guard stations nationwide, being the 16th.

Marking its 10th anniversary this year, the Changwon Coast Guard currently operates from its new headquarters in Sinpo-dong, Masanhappo-gu, Changwon City.

The jurisdiction of the Changwon Coast Guard covers the coastal waters within 7.2 miles inside from Sinho-dong, Gangseo-gu, Busan to Yongjeong-ri, Goseong-gun, Gyeongnam, and Jeongdong direction of Seoi-mal, Geoje City.

This area includes a complex rias coastline with 9 inhabited islands and 69 uninhabited islands scattered across an area of 809 km², with a coastline length of 669 km, approximately 2.2 times the 310 km coastline of Jeju Island's main island.

Historically, the Changwon area has been a geographical hub connecting the sea and land, and today it has grown into a Northeast Asian port logistics center with international trade ports such as Masan Port, Jinhae Port, Busan New Port, and large-scale marine complexes.

Due to the increase in port cargo volume and the surge in maritime crimes and illegal fishing, the Changwon Coast Guard has established itself as a reliable pillar protecting the sea safety of the Changwon region by resolving local fishermen's complaints and responding swiftly to maritime accidents.

The eastern coastal waters of Namhae, under the jurisdiction of the Changwon Coast Guard, are densely trafficked by large vessels, fishing boats, and cruise ships, while also hosting diverse marine resources and rich fishing grounds.

With frequent activities of coastal fishing boats and fishing vessels, this area is always at high risk for major casualties and marine pollution accidents.

The Changwon Coast Guard has built a response system for rapid rescue and handling of actual accidents through realistic training exercises for maritime accident response.

Since the introduction of the Masan Port Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) in 1998, systematic management of vessel navigation and safety has been maintained.

As of 2022, it safely manages an average of 257 vessels daily, totaling 95,496 vessels annually, and has a maritime accident prevention system that proactively addresses vessel accidents occurring in Jinhae Bay and Masan Bay.

In fact, in March 2022, it rescued two crew members from a fishing boat capsized after a collision off Hwado, Jinhae, and over the past three years, it has responded to 562 vessel accidents, saving 2,144 lives.

Additionally, to raise public awareness of maritime safety, it promotes various enhanced maritime accident prevention policies such as coastal safety experience classes and survival swimming classes.

Through these numerous efforts, the Coast Guard has achieved today’s safe seas and now stands at a new starting point, looking beyond its 70th anniversary.

The Coast Guard will continue to serve as the guardian of the sea and the lives of the people by our side even 70 years from now.

We support the greater leap and development of the Coast Guard, which has worked hard so far, and look forward to the safer future seas they will create.

Finally, we express our gratitude to the approximately 13,000 Coast Guard officers who dedicate themselves day and night, facing all kinds of dangers to protect the safety and sovereignty of Korea’s seas at this very moment.

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