"Although It's a National Fishing Port, Vessels Can't Operate Properly"...Urgent Overhaul Needed for Gyehma Port in Yeonggwang

Kim Kangheon: "Port Function Paralyzed by Sediment Accumulation"
Points Out the Need for Urgent National-Level Dredging

Concerns have been raised in the Jeonnam Gwangju Unified Special City Council regarding the functional loss of Gyehma Port in Yeonggwang, a national fishing port, due to sediment accumulation, which is disrupting fishermen's operations. As vessels must depart according to the tides but are repeatedly unable to set out to sea on time because the channels are blocked, calls for urgent national-level dredging have been growing.

Kim Kangheon of the Agriculture and Fisheries Committee of the Jeonnam Gwangju Unified Special City Council (Democratic Party of Korea, Yeonggwang 2) recently focused on the issue of poor management at Gyehma Port, a national fishing port, during a Fisheries and Oceans sector work report and urged immediate countermeasures.

Kim Kangheon, former council member of Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Metropolitan City, is explaining the situation at Gye-Ma Port in Yeonggwang, which is blocked by soil debris, and the problems faced by fishermen. Provided by Jeonnam Gwangju Metropolitan City Council

Assemblyman Kim stated, "Gyehma Port is a national fishing port crucial to the livelihoods of local fishermen, but the sediment accumulated on the harbor floor has paralyzed its function to the extent that ships cannot operate properly," adding, "Inside the harbor, which has turned into a mudflat, fishermen are repeatedly missing their chances to depart because they cannot synchronize with the tides."

He continued, "Fishermen are bearing the full brunt of the damage caused by the national fishing port's failure to function as it should be under national management," stressing, "This issue goes beyond mere inconvenience—it threatens their very right to survive, so the central government and related agencies must no longer neglect it."

Assemblyman Kim especially called on the government and relevant agencies to actively publicize the serious state of Gyehma Port and to implement urgent dredging and fundamental management measures to restore its functions.

Park Youngchae, Director of Agricultural and Fisheries Policy, said, "Gyehma Port has currently been designated as a target for the 'Clean National Fishing Port Project,'" adding, "We will work closely with the relevant port authority to quickly implement extensive dredging so that the inconveniences faced by local fishermen can be resolved as soon as possible."

Meanwhile, Gyehma Port is one of the major fishing bases in Yeonggwang and is managed by the state as a national fishing port. However, the continuous accumulation of sediment has made vessel passage difficult and affected fishing schedules, compounding the inconveniences faced by fishermen.

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