2024.07.15. The Fair Economy — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced that Second Vice Foreign Minister Kang In-seon and Oceans Vice Minister Song Myeong-dal met on the 15th at the ministry's comprehensive situation room to discuss collaborative measures between the two ministries for the protection of overseas nationals and to inspect the safety of Korean sailors and ships navigating the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Vice Foreign Minister Kang stressed that strengthening cooperation with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries in responding to maritime incidents is directly tied to the safety of overseas Koreans, economic security and people's livelihoods, given that 99.7% of South Korea's import and export cargo moves by sea.
Vice Minister Song emphasized that economic vitality that sustains livelihoods is underpinned by a safe maritime industry, adding that the two agencies will continue to develop their cooperative framework to ensure the safety of Korean crew members and vessels working abroad.
On the occasion of the visit to the comprehensive situation room, the two ministries opened a hot line — a direct telephone link — between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Overseas Safety Situation Room and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries' Comprehensive Situation Room. The two ministries expect the new line will facilitate smoother exchange of the latest information on maritime safety and enable faster communication when incidents involving Korean vessels occur.
Meanwhile, Vice Minister Kang spoke with the 42nd Cheonghae Unit's Daecheong, which is currently carrying out the mission of protecting our vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, and expressed gratitude to all unit members for their efforts in safeguarding our sailors and vessels and ensuring safe maritime logistics. He then contacted our vessels operating in the Gulf of Aden, urging them to navigate safely, and informed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries are jointly monitoring the maritime incident and accident situation around the clock.
Vice Minister Song thanked Vice Foreign Minister Kang for visiting the comprehensive situation room to encourage staff and personally overseeing the safety of Korean vessels. "Only when the safety of our crew members and vessels is secured can citizens working in the maritime industry operate safely and actively, so we plan to continue strengthening our cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on protecting overseas Koreans," he said.
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