• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.777-786
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• 2020

This study examines the efficiency of safety management measures taken in coastal waters to prevent coastal accidents. Recent years have witnessed about 800 cases of large and small coastal accidents in coastal waters annually. On average, these accidents have been responsible for 129 deaths annually, Thus, there is a need for effective preventive measures. Accordingly, the Korea Coast Guard enacted the Coastal Accident Prevention Act in 2014 and has cooperated with related organizations, such as local governments and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, to safely manage coastal waters. However, compared to the rapid increase in human coastal activities, coastal accidents continue to occur due to the lack of a safety mindset among the Korea Coast Guard, a lack of public safety awareness, a lack of safety management facilities, and poor interest from related organizations, among others. This study examines the conditions and problems faced with regard to safety management in coastal waters based on recent coastal accident data, and analyzes foreign coastal waters safety management cases. Various methods to improve the safety management efficiency in coastal waters are proposed, such as enhancing the safety mindset and capabilities of the Korea Coast Guard, strengthening cooperation among related organizations, increasing the role of local governments, expanding and strengthening safety management facilities by applying new technologies, inculcating a culture of maritime safety, and activating private-public collaborative governance.