The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said on the 4th that it held a meeting with the National Council of Seafarers' Trade Unions and the Korea Seafarers' Union Federation to discuss safety measures for seafarers in relation to the situation in the Middle East.
The meeting was held at the request of the council of maritime unions composed of many seafarers' unions serving the Middle East waters. At the meeting, the unions proposed measures to ensure the safety of seafarers near the Strait of Hormuz, including daily necessities, support for crew changes, and establishing plans to secure the safety of local seafarers if the situation worsens, and asked the government to share information to ease the anxiety of local seafarers.
In response, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) secured the lists of seafarers and vessels staying in the waters near the Strait of Hormuz, including the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It said it has since been checking daily with ships and shipping companies on safety matters, the status of daily necessities, and crew change situations, and that it will also prepare measures to ensure seafarers' safety if the Middle East situation is prolonged.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) also said it has been operating an emergency counseling communication channel for seafarers since 4 p.m. on the 3rd to directly receive their grievances and inconveniences, working to ensure seafarers' safety. It asked the unions to share with the MOF any on-site problems, such as refusing unilateral requests from shipping companies to disembark crew.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) plans to hold an additional tripartite labor-management-government meeting next week, chaired by Acting Minister Kim Sung-beom.
Kim Hye-jung, director general of shipping and logistics at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF), said, "We will continue close communication with labor and management and make every effort to manage the safety of national shipping companies and seafarers amid the Middle East situation," adding, "The unions should also do their best for the safety of our seafarers and vessels."