Monthly Salary of 6.55 Million Won Attracts Young Koreans, But Half of Seafarers Are Still Foreign Nationals

Proportion of Korean Seafarers Falls Below Half
Foreign Crew Members Take Their Place
Share of Seafarers Under 40 on the Rise

The proportion of Korean nationals among domestic seafarers has fallen below half.

Fueling scene of fishing boats at Guryongpo Suhyup. Photo is not directly related to the content of the article. Pohang City

On July 5, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries published the "2026 Korea Seafarers Statistical Yearbook," releasing information on the current status of seafarer employment in Korea, the employment status of Korean and foreign seafarers, and wage levels.

As of the end of last year, there were a total of 60,543 seafarers employed in Korea. Of these, 27,372 were Korean nationals, accounting for 45.2% of the total. This figure represents a decrease of 1,359 compared to the previous year. The proportion of Korean seafarers among domestic seafarers has been on the decline. While the share of Korean nationals among all seafarers barely remained at half in 2023 at 50.1%, it reversed in 2024, dropping to 47.0% in favor of foreign seafarers, and fell further to 45.2% last year.

Most foreign seafarers are from Southeast Asia, such as Indonesia and the Philippines, and their number was 33,171 as of the end of last year. They made up 54.8% of the total, an increase of 650 compared to the previous year. This indicates a growing reliance on foreign labor in the field, as securing seafarers has become increasingly difficult.

The average monthly wage for Korean seafarers was 6.55 million won. This marks a 5% increase from 6.24 million won the previous year, and a 48.2% rise compared to 10 years ago, when it was 4.42 million won.

By age group, Korean seafarers consisted of 12,002 individuals aged 60 or older (43.9%), 8,448 in their 40s and 50s (30.9%), and 6,922 under the age of 40 (25.2%). Notably, the proportion of younger seafarers under the age of 40 has been on the rise. Seafarers under 40 made up 22.1% in 2023 and 24.4% in 2024.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries assessed, "The recent increase in the proportion of seafarers under 40 over the past three years is a positive sign for securing long-term workforce stability and industrial competitiveness."

Kim Hyejeong, Director General for Shipping and Logistics at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, said that although the proportion of young seafarers has increased following the announcement of the 2023 Seafarer Job Innovation Plan, the problem of an aging seafarer workforce still persists. She added that the ministry will promote various policies to enhance the attractiveness of seafaring as an occupation so that young seafarers can work with satisfaction.

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