'Failure to Wear Life Jackets' Most Common Violation in Past 3 Years...Fines Up to 3 Million Won

Over the past three years, the most common violation found during nationwide inspections of fishing boats was the failure to wear life jackets.

According to the Coast Guard Headquarters on June 16, an analysis of violations on fishing boats from 2023 to 2025 showed that not wearing life jackets accounted for 80 cases, making it the most frequent violation. This was followed by 67 cases of fishing in prohibited areas, 58 cases of operating unregistered fishing boats, 49 cases of exceeding the passenger limit, and 23 cases of operating outside the permitted area.

When boarding a fishing boat, passengers must wear life jackets at all times, whether fishing or while the vessel is in motion. This ensures that in the event of sudden swells or a collision between vessels that results in someone falling overboard, the critical window for rescue—the golden time—can be secured.

However, the Coast Guard stated that in many of the cases detected in the field, not only passengers but also captains and crew members were still found not wearing life jackets.

The Korea Coast Guard is checking whether passengers on fishing boats are wearing life jackets. Photo by the Korea Coast Guard

Under the current “Fishing Management and Promotion Act,” everyone on board—including fishing boat operators, crew members, and passengers—is required to wear a life jacket at all times. Violations of this law result in fines of up to 3 million won for operators and up to 1 million won for passengers.

Jang Insik, Acting Commissioner of the Coast Guard Headquarters, emphasized, “Accidents can happen in just a few seconds, and whether or not you are wearing a life jacket determines survival. I urge everyone to make it a habit to wear a life jacket—not just as a formality to avoid inspections, but as a means to protect your own life.”

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