• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.336-345
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• 2020

Vessel Traf ic Services (VTS) is a system for ship safety and accident prevention. The International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and the Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) established regulations related to VTS from an early stage. On December 3, 2019, South Korea enacted a special act called the "Act on Vessel Traffic Services (VTS Act)," which will take ef ect on June 4, 2020. In this paper, the background of this act's enactment is examined and its provisions are critically reviewed. In particular, the study intensively examines the reasons the immunity provisions for the VTS operator were removed and the current direction of improvements to the VTS Act is presented in terms of its feasibility. Most countries that do not have an Act related to VTS and its operator, refer to that of Korea. Therefore, it is necessary to reinforce the structures and definition of the VTS Act, as well as the immunity provisions for the VTS operator. The latter were removed during the National Assembly's legislation process, but were included in the initial bill, and should be reflected in subsequent revisions of the VTS Act.