There are also plans to make it mandatory for security guards to be aboard ships
Korean government officials said yesterday that South Korean ships sailing in international waters will have to build a safe place designed to protect their crew members from possible attacks by pirates, Yonhap News reports
A law revision, which obliges the construction of a so-called “citadel” inside ships that have to sail through international waters, was passed in the National Assembly on Nov. 22.When the revision will go into effect is not yet known, but it is expected to come into force soon.Since there had been no related laws, owners do not have to build such safe areas, leaving crew members vulnerable to pirate attacks.
There have been a total of nine cases where South Korean sailors were kidnapped in waters off Somalia since 2006. Six of the cases involved Korean ships, while two were Japanese and one was Singaporean.
The South Korean government also plans to make it mandatory for security guards to be aboard ships sailing through dangerous areas, the officials said.
Source: Yonhap News
