Young Workers Leaving and Aging Workforce... Deepening Seafarer Manpower Shortage

Korean Seafarers Down 34% in 22 Years
Foreign Crew Rises to 33,171
72% of New Seafarers Move Ashore Within 5 Years

There are growing concerns that resolving the shortage of domestic seafarers will become even more difficult as the so-called ‘Seafarers’ Matching Savings Scheme’ aimed at retaining young seafarers has failed to pass the budget threshold. Although the government is rolling out policy measures to encourage long-term service and to attract more young people to the industry, critics argue that it is difficult to prevent the outflow of workers with simple financial support alone, given the overlapping structural problems of declining numbers and aging of Korean seafarers, as well as long working hours.

The Number of Korean Seafarers Is Falling... Aging Is Accelerating

The core of the problem is not only that few young people are entering the seafaring profession. A bigger issue lies in the fact that the existing pool of Korean seafarers is shrinking rapidly while simultaneously aging. According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries’ 2025 seafarer statistics, the total number of employed seafarers last year was 60,543. Of these, Korean seafarers numbered only 27,372, accounting for just 45.2%. Compared to 2003, when there were 41,396, this is a decrease of 14,024 people, or about 34%, over 22 years. In the same period, the number of foreign seafarers rose from 7,313 to 33,171, coming to make up over half of the domestic seafaring workforce.

The problem is also that the remaining Korean seafarers are concentrated in older age groups. Last year, those aged 60 and above made up the largest proportion at 43.8%, with those in their 50s accounting for 19.6%. By contrast, those in their 20s were just 14.5%, and those in their 30s at 10.8%. Among coastal cargo ships, the proportion of seafarers aged 60 and above rises to 59.4%. The decline in seafarers is particularly pronounced among entry-level crew. The number of domestic crew members on Korean-flagged vessels fell by 23.9%, dropping from 34,011 in 2013 to 25,891 last year, while during the same period the number of entry-level crew decreased by nearly half, from 15,317 to 7,498. As senior seafarers begin to retire in earnest, a lack of new recruits threatens to dramatically widen the supply gap.

The navigators of SM Line's 4253 TEU container ship SM Mumbai are checking real-time weather information on the bridge to ensure safe navigation and to inspect navigational hazards. (The above photo is not directly related to the article content.)

7 Out of 10 Young Seafarers Move Ashore Within Five Years

Simply recruiting new young personnel does not solve the problem. A significant number of young people who become seafarers leave for land-based jobs soon thereafter. According to a Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries survey, approximately 72% of new seafarers switch to shore-based positions within five years of employment. Only 38.2% said they intended to serve until retirement. This reveals that the shortage of seafarers stems both from insufficient inflow of young people and failure of the youth to settle in the profession.

This is why the government’s policy targets long-term service. The Second Basic Seafarer Policy Plan aims to reduce the five-year turnover rate of new seafarers from 72% to 60% by 2028, and to increase the number of newly qualified officers supplied annually from 1,810 in 2022 to 2,000 in 2028. Measures include a long-term service track and incentives for extended service, support for hiring Korean-flagged seafarers, and a seafarer fund. The Seafarers’ Matching Savings Scheme was also included as part of these policies. With enrollment for the ‘Youth Tomorrow Matching Savings Scheme’ for ordinary young people halted in 2024, and the new ‘Youth Future Savings Scheme’ introduced this year to help young people build assets, there were expectations for a dedicated savings scheme for young seafarers to be reinstated, but it ultimately was not reflected in the budget. Thus, the most direct financial incentive to promote long-term service is missing at a time when incentives are sorely needed.

Even with More Foreign Seafarers, There Will Be a Shortfall of 8,580 by 2030

There are also concerns that increasing the number of foreign seafarers does not address the problem at its root. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries estimates the workforce shortage at 2,376 in 2025, 4,767 in 2027, and 8,580 in 2030. The cumulative shortfall of domestic seafarers alone between now and 2030 is expected to reach approximately 36,000. In 2030, the shortage is projected to include 417 navigation officers, 852 engineers, and 1,398 entry-level crew on coastal cargo ships, while in inshore and nearshore fishing vessels, there will be a shortfall of 9,547 entry-level crew. This suggests that expanding the foreign workforce alone cannot address the total shortage if the current structure persists. Moreover, as the aging of Korean seafarers accelerates without an influx of younger workers, there is a high risk that the gap from retirements will worsen suddenly and dramatically.

The Bigger Issue Is Time Spent at Sea, Not Salary

That said, it would be inaccurate to conclude that seafaring work is avoided solely due to low wages. The average monthly wage for all Korean seafarers last year was 6.55 million won, higher than the average for all regularly employed workers, which was 4.21 million won. However, looking more closely at the sector and job types tells a different story. Coastal cargo ship crew had an average monthly wage of 3.82 million won, and inshore and nearshore fishing vessel crew earned 4.07 million won—both below the general workforce average. More importantly, unlike land-based employees, seafarers must live and work aboard ships for extended periods.

According to a 2023 survey by the Korea Maritime Institute, the average weekly working hours for seafarers was 75.3 hours, about 1.9 times the overall workforce average of 40.6 hours. Over the past three years, the average duration of continuous service on board was 7.3 months, with an average vacation period of 2.4 months. The challenges seafarers face are closely tied to their working environment. The survey found that 42.8% cited a lack of work–life balance. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries concludes that the aversion to seafaring jobs cannot be explained by wages alone, but is fundamentally driven by the occupational characteristics of extended and long-term boarding, which act as obstacles to attracting and retaining younger talent. A Ministry official said, “We plan to continuously introduce complementary measures to alleviate the seafarer shortage, including improving onboard working conditions and enhancing education and career development programs.”

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