Maritime Accidents Rise but Fewer Casualties... Deaths and Missing Down 16.5% Year-on-Year

Accidents Up 7.9%
Small Fishing Vessels and Safety Incidents Remain Vulnerable

Although the number of accidents increased, there were fewer fatalities. While maritime accidents continued to rise last year, the number of casualties, including deaths and missing persons, actually decreased.

The Central Maritime Safety Tribunal of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced the '2025 Maritime Accident Statistics' on March 19, reporting that there were a total of 3,513 maritime accidents last year, representing a 7.9% increase compared to the previous year. However, the number of casualties stood at 137, marking a 16.5% decrease.

By type of accident, engine failure accounted for 1,049 cases, making up 29.9% of the total and ranking as the most common cause. This was followed by entanglement with floating debris (535 cases, 15.2%) and flooding (292 cases, 8.3%).

Looking at the trends over the past five years, the incidence rates of steering system damage, entanglement with floating debris, and collision accidents have increased at a pace well above the average growth rate, making them significant risk factors.

By vessel type, fishing boats accounted for the highest proportion of accidents at 65.8%, with small fishing vessels under 10 tons comprising more than half of these cases. Non-fishing vessels, such as cargo ships, represented 17.2%, while water leisure craft accounted for 17.0%.

Among the total 137 fatalities and missing persons, 84 people (61.3%) were involved in safety-related accidents, followed by capsizing (18.2%), and fire or explosion (7.3%).

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries considers the continued lack of compliance with basic safety rules at maritime sites to be a major cause. In particular, accidents such as falling overboard during operations are recurring, highlighting the need to establish fundamental safety practices such as the wearing of life jackets.

Vice Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Kim Sungbum stated, "Although the number of casualties has decreased, safety accidents still occur frequently. It is essential for the industry and workers to actively cooperate to establish a culture of safety at maritime worksites."

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