Seoul: 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.
According to Yonhap News Agency, a total of 164 people were killed or went missing in these accidents, representing a 74.5 percent increase from the corresponding tally for 2023. The data revealed the occurrence of 706 major accidents, including collisions, capsizing, and sinking. Collisions between boats accounted for 34.4 percent of these major incidents, followed by safety accidents at 26.2 percent, fire and explosion cases at 19.8 percent, capsizing at 13.5 percent, and sinking at 6.2 percent.
Oceans Minister Kang Do-hyung highlighted that many casualties resulted from maritime safety accidents, as well as capsizing and sinking incidents in 2024. He pledged to enhance boat safety measures to reduce maritime accidents this year.