(c) Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Minister: Cho Hyun), the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (Minister: Jeon Jae-soo), and the Korea Coast Guard (Commissioner: Kim Yong-jin) announced that they conducted a 'Joint Inter-Ministerial Drill for Responding to Maritime Accidents Involving Korean Vessels and Crew in Foreign Waters' on the afternoon of December 8 at the Gimpo Fixed-Wing Aviation Unit of the Korea Coast Guard and in the waters near Incheon.

This drill was organized to check the cooperation system among the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and the Korea Coast Guard, and to strengthen initial response capabilities in response to the recent increase in maritime accidents involving Korean vessels and crew in foreign waters. The drill proceeded with a scenario-based tabletop exercise and actual search and rescue training. This drill is particularly significant as it is the first joint drill conducted by relevant ministries to protect the lives and safety of overseas citizens, assuming the occurrence of a maritime accident in foreign waters.

In this joint drill, the Korea Coast Guard, immediately upon receiving the hypothetical situation of a vessel sinking, promptly relayed the situation to relevant agencies, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and dispatched a rescue team, including aircraft, to conduct search and rescue operations. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately activated its overseas citizen protection response system and requested cooperation from nearby countries through its overseas missions to ensure smooth rescue operations. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries quickly identified and shared information about the accident vessel and Korean crew (shipping company information, vessel specifications/insurance, crew manifest, etc.) and maintained a cooperation system to minimize damage. Each agency organically coordinated and cooperated throughout the entire process until all crew members were rescued and the rescue team returned.

Subsequently, participants in the drill, including Cho Yoon-hye, Director-General of the Overseas Safety Situation Room at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, boarded the Korea Coast Guard's maritime patrol aircraft to inspect the search and rescue procedures in the waters near Incheon.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and the Korea Coast Guard evaluated that they were able to strengthen the inter-ministerial collaboration system through this joint drill and announced that they will maintain a flawless joint response posture to ensure the safety of our crew and vessels even in foreign waters.

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