"5,700 Safety Personnel Deployed"... Government Aims to Prevent Water Activity Fatalities This Summer

Accidents Continue Every Year at Beaches and Rivers
Special Inspections by Local Governments
Patrols and Public Awareness Efforts Strengthened with Private Groups
Campaign to Establish a Safety Culture Including Wearing Life Jackets

The government will deploy 5,700 safety personnel and strengthen inspections in high-risk areas to reduce fatalities from water-related accidents during the summer season.

On May 28, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety held a countermeasures meeting presided over by Disaster and Safety Management Headquarters Chief Kim Gwangyong, reviewing agency-specific plans for water safety management.

Vacationers are enjoying water activities at Hamdeok Beach in Jocheon-eup, Jeju City. Photo by Yonhap News

Water activity accidents have consistently occurred every summer, with 17 casualties reported last year. By location, most incidents happened at the seaside (8 people) and in rivers and streams (5 people). The main causes were safety negligence and poor swimming skills, accounting for 13 cases.

In response, the government has decided to deploy more than 5,700 safety personnel in densely populated areas such as rivers, valleys, beaches, and national parks. This represents an increase of over 340 people compared to last year.

The government will check the work status of safety personnel in real time and enhance their response capabilities by providing special training at least once a month, in addition to the pre-deployment training.

During school holidays and vacation periods, dedicated public officials will be assigned by region to conduct special inspections of rivers, valleys, and beaches to prevent casualties.

Cities, counties, and districts with a history of frequent accidents will be designated as intensive management areas. Field patrols and public awareness efforts will be strengthened in cooperation with private rescue organizations, such as voluntary disaster prevention groups and citizen water rescue teams. Unmanned surveillance systems using barriers and CCTV will be increasingly installed in hazardous water activity zones.

Guidelines for water activities—such as warming up before entering the water, wearing life jackets, and prohibiting swimming after drinking—will be continuously promoted through various media. In particular, a campaign will be launched to establish a culture of always wearing life jackets during water activities.

Practical survival swimming lessons will be provided for elementary school students. Water safety campaigns will also be conducted in conjunction with Safety Inspection Day (the 4th of every month) and Coastal Safety Day (July 18).

Kim Gwangyong, Chief of the Disaster and Safety Management Headquarters, emphasized, "The government will focus on preventing casualties from water activity accidents this summer, making every effort for water safety management in cooperation with related agencies. We urge everyone to strictly follow safety rules such as warming up before entering the water and wearing a life jacket."

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