"Is This the Last Summer?"... 'Port Diving Craze' Heats Up SNS as Jeju Sea Faces Serious Safety Risks

47 People Lost Their Lives in the Past 5 Years

Only 6.4% Wore Life Jackets

Province, Coast Guard, and Fire Authorities Step Up Safety Management

As all 12 designated beaches in Jeju have opened for the summer vacation season, there is heightened alert for the prevention of safety accidents. In particular, with news spreading that swimming and water activities will be banned at harbors and ports starting next year, a so-called 'last port diving' craze has emerged on social media. This has led to calls for greater caution not only at beaches but also at harbors, ports, and coastal areas.

Concerns over safety accidents along the coast of Jeju are growing as the summer vacation season approaches. The photo is not directly related to the content of the article. Photo by Yonhap News.

Recently, platforms such as Instagram and TikTok have seen a surge of videos showing people diving and snorkeling at famous harbors and ports in Jeju, accompanied by captions like "National Assembly passes harbor water activity ban... This summer is the last chance!"

This is because the National Assembly has amended the Fishing Villages and Harbors Act to prohibit swimming, diving, and snorkeling at harbors and ports starting in April 2027. Violators may be fined up to 500,000 won.

260 Coastal Accidents in the Past 5 Years... 7 Out of 10 Cases Involved Drowning

According to the Jeju Coast Guard, there were a total of 260 coastal accidents in Jeju during the summer seasons (June to September) from 2021 to 2025. These accidents resulted in 47 fatalities. The highest number of deaths occurred at harbors and ports (14), followed by coastal areas (12), rocky shores (5), tetrapods (4), and beaches (3).

The majority of these accidents were drowning incidents. Over the past five years, there were 179 drowning cases, accounting for 68.8% of the total 260 accidents. Fatalities from drowning numbered 44, which represents 93.6% of all deaths. In particular, water-based drownings that occurred while swimming, snorkeling, or diving were the most common, with 90 cases and 27 deaths.

The rate of life jacket usage was extremely low. Out of 404 victims, only 103 (25%) were wearing life jackets, and of the 47 fatalities, just 3 (6.4%) had life jackets on.

Diving at harbors and ports not only results in deaths but can also cause serious, lifelong disabilities from severe trauma. According to a study by the Jeju Halla Hospital research team last year, 34 out of 353 cervical spine injury patients (9.6%) over the past nine years were injured while diving into shallow water less than 1.5 meters deep. Most of these incidents occurred between July and August, with an average age of 30.6 years, and men accounted for 97.1% of the cases.

Experts point out that accidents are often caused by people jumping in without properly checking water depth or tide conditions, or by entering the water without safety equipment for social media content or so-called 'life shots.'

This is a view of Kimnyeong Beach in Gujwa-eup, Jeju City. The photo is not directly related to the specific content of the article. Photo by Yonhap News.

Rip Current Accidents Recur Every Year... Even Good Swimmers Are Not Safe

Rip currents are another recurring threat every year. A rip current is a phenomenon where water that has been pushed onto the shore quickly flows back out to sea through a narrow channel. Also known as a 'reverse wave,' it can sweep even strong swimmers far out to sea in an instant.

For example, in August 2024, six tourists snorkeling near Sogeummak Beach by Pyoseon Beach were caught in a rip current, resulting in one death. In June 2023, a tourist in their 20s lost their life to a rip current at Jungmun Saekdal Beach, which is considered the most high-risk area for rip currents in Jeju.

Meanwhile, Jeju Province, the Coast Guard, and fire authorities are strengthening safety management as the summer vacation season begins. They are increasing the deployment of safety personnel, enhancing preventive patrols, conducting accident prevention campaigns at harbors and ports, and carrying out rip current response drills, putting full effort into preventing coastal accidents.

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