Coast Guard Catches 1,489 Offenders in Maritime Safety and Livelihood Crackdown... 'Illegal Vessel Extensions or Alterations' Most Common

The Korea Coast Guard said on November 3 that it had caught 1,489 people in 1,260 cases during special crackdowns on offenses that undermine maritime safety and crimes that harm people’s livelihoods.

Through three rounds of special crackdowns conducted from the start of this year through September, the Coast Guard caught 542 people in 492 cases involving offenses that undermine maritime safety, and 947 people in 768 cases involving crimes that harm people’s livelihoods.

The number of maritime safety-related cases rose 19.1% from last year’s 413. By type, illegal extensions or alterations to vessel structures accounted for the most cases, at 144, followed by operating without a license or registration (104), failing to undergo inspections (79), and overloading vessels with cargo or passengers (69).

In March, in Mokpo, South Jeolla Province, the Coast Guard caught the operator of a nearshore trap fishing vessel in the 40-ton class for arbitrarily extending its stern without undergoing a temporary inspection. Also that month, in Saha-gu, Busan, the captain of a coastal gillnet fishing vessel in the 5-ton class was caught operating with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.340%.

Korea Coast Guard

Among crimes that harm people’s livelihoods, property crimes causing direct economic damage to fishers were the most common, with 351 cases. There were also 340 fisheries-related offenses that deplete fishery resources, 65 safety-related offenses, and five robbery and violent crimes.

In April, the Coast Guard caught people who used seven diving and dredge fishing vessels at night to illegally take 5,200 kg of pen shells from an aquaculture farm operated by a fishing village association in Jangheung, South Jeolla Province.

Also, in December last year in Gunsan, a person identified only as Mr. A was caught on suspicion of swindling 20 million won. He allegedly falsely promised to repay the money by boarding a fishing vessel he would be introduced to, after receiving an advance payment to cover debt repayment and living expenses.

Coast Guard Commissioner Ha Mansik said, "We will continue intensive crackdowns until illegal acts that threaten maritime safety and people’s livelihoods are eradicated."

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