By Yoon Sojung
Photos = Cheong Wa Dae

“You should be reborn as a coast guard that keeps in mind solely the lives and safety of the people.”
So said President Moon Jae-in on the 64th anniversary of Korea Coast Guard Day on Sept. 13.
During the ceremony at the Port of Incheon Coast Guard Station, President Moon emphasized that restoring the trust of the people by protecting their safety was the first and foremost task of the Korea Coast Guard.

Mentioning the poor response of the Korea Coast Guard during the tragic sinking of the ferry Sewol three years ago, President Moon said, “You must regain the trust of the people by accepting the risks required to preserve their safety. The Korea Coast Guard should be in charge of all disasters and calamities that take place in open waters.”

“You need to take the Sewol sinking as an eternal lesson,” said the president.

He urged the Korea Coast Guard to find fundamental reasons for the problems that it faced in the process of rescuing the victims onboard the Sewol in order to take clear countermeasures.

“We should not cause anyone to cry on the water due to incompetence or irresponsibility,” said the president.

He urged all water safety and security-related organizations, including the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, to form a cooperative structure so that they can secure their capability of controlling any ocean disaster in a water-tight manner.



The president also highlighted the protection of Korea's sovereignty over its oceanic and sea-based territories.

“You shouldn't spare any effort in protecting our national territory and the sovereign right to our waters,” he said.

President Moon called for the Korea Coast Guard to play an important role as part of a national security structure through cooperation with the government's foreign affairs and national security ministries.

He also urged the Korea Coast Guard to be fully prepared for any accidents that might occur by bolstering its prevention systems, and for tackling ocean contamination.

President Moon vowed to provide all the support necessary for the development of the Korea Coast Guard.

“The Korea Coast Guard should take perfect care of our safety on the global shipping lanes used by Korea, the sixth largest exporter in the world,” he said.

“The future of the Republic of Korea as an oceanic leader lies on your shoulders,” said the president.




arete@korea.kr