This file photo taken March 18, 2025, shows fishing boats at a port in Incheon, about 35 kilometers west of Seoul. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEJONG, March 24 (Korea Bizwire) — More than 160 people died or went missing in maritime accidents in South Korea last year, government data showed Monday.
In 2024, 3,255 maritime accidents occurred in the country, up 5.3 percent from 2023, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.
In the accidents, a total of 164 people were killed or went missing, up 74.5 percent from the corresponding tally for 2023.
In detail, there were 706 major accidents, such as collision, capsizing and sinking, with collision between boats accounting for 34.4 percent of the major cases, followed by safety accidents at 26.2 percent, fire and explosion cases 19.8 percent, capsizing 13.5 percent, and sinking at 6.2 percent.
“Many casualties have been reported due to maritime safety accidents, and capsizing and sinking cases in 2024,” Oceans Minister Kang Do-hyung said, vowing to strengthen boat safety measures to reduce maritime accidents this year.
(Yonhap)
