Korea Coast Guard to Apply AI to Aerial Surveillance Footage for Real-Time Enforcement and Distress Identification

The Korea Coast Guard announced on December 1 that the "Marine Risk Analysis AI Project" has been officially selected as one of the government's "Top 10 AI Projects for Public Welfare" and will now move forward in earnest.

The Top 10 AI Projects for Public Welfare is a program organized by the Ministry of Science and ICT, inviting all government agencies to propose AI-based public services that citizens can tangibly benefit from.

The project selected for the Coast Guard involves applying artificial intelligence (AI) to footage collected daily by 26 airplanes and helicopters deployed nationwide.

Accordingly, the Coast Guard plans to invest 3 billion won from next year through 2027 to develop "Deep Blue Eye," an AI program for analyzing aerial evidence footage. Deep Blue Eye will be equipped with real-time capabilities to determine whether vessels are operating illegally, identify persons in distress, and analyze hazards such as red tides and jellyfish.

Example of AI Applied to Aerial Evidence Footage. Korea Coast Guard

Currently, Coast Guard aircraft use thermal imaging equipment to capture around 500 photos and 50 videos per flight, detecting vessels and marine pollutants and searching for people in distress. However, due to the high speed of the aircraft, there are limitations in identifying these targets immediately.

Yeo Seongsu, Director of the Guard and Patrol Bureau at the Korea Coast Guard, stated, "Deep Blue Eye was designated as the first agenda item at the inaugural Meeting of Ministers of Science and Technology Relations held on November 24. We will make AI a routine part of the maritime sector to ensure public safety and protect maritime sovereignty."

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