More than 160 people were reported dead or missing in maritime incidents in South Korea last year, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.
In 2024, the country recorded 3,255 maritime accidents, marking a 5.3% increase from 2023, based on data from South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, with the country seeing a significant increase in incidents.
Among those incidents, 164 individuals lost their lives or went missing, a 74.5% rise compared to 2023. There were 706 serious accidents involving events such as collisions, capsizing, and sinking.
Of these, collisions between vessels accounted for 34.4%, followed by safety-related incidents at 26.2%, fires and explosions at 19.8%, capsizing at 13.5% and sinking at 6.2%.
Kang Do-hyung, Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, has pledged to enforce stricter safety measures to reduce the risk of maritime accidents.
