This year marks the 60th anniversary since the Korean distant-water fishing fleet dropped anchor in Las Palmas, Spain. Sailors who set out onto the open ocean in the 1960s for Korea, which suffered from poverty and a shortage of foreign currency, earned foreign exchange worth trillions of won over decades. However, compared with miners and nurses dispatched to Germany, their dedication is seen as having received relatively less attention.
According to the Embassy of Korea in Spain on the 14th (local time), the advance of the Korean distant-water fishing fleet into Las Palmas began in Mar. 1966. It started when the Kanghwa No. 601, affiliated with the Korea Fisheries Development Corporation, first dropped anchor at the port. At the time, Korea's gross domestic product (GDP) stood at just $3.8 billion, reflecting dire economic conditions.
The sweat shed by sailors on seas far from home became the foundation for Korea's economic development. Las Palmas was once a forward base for Korea's distant-water fishing industry. At its peak, 210 distant-water vessels and 15,000 Koreans came and went here. Korea's distant-water industry grew to account for 5% of total exports in 1971. The foreign currency earned over 20 years amounted to $870 million, about 1.3 trillion won at the current exchange rate. Some contend that the dollars they sent to Korea exceeded those sent by miners and nurses in Germany.
But their contributions were not sufficiently remembered in their homeland for a long time. One hundred seventeen Korean sailors who lost their lives amid harsh working conditions are still laid to rest in the Las Palmas seafarers' cemetery. The local Korean community and the Spanish government visit the cemetery every year to honor them.
Last year, a large sculpture honoring the sailors' dedication was also erected. It is the 6-meter-tall, 2-ton blue installation "Greeting Man." Created by artist Yoo Young-ho and installed in locations around the world since 2012, the work delivers a message of gratitude and peace through a figure bowing politely. Yoo donated the piece to commemorate the dedication of Korea's distant-water fishing sailors. King Felipe VI of Spain sent a congratulatory message for the unveiling ceremony.
Im Soo-seok, ambassador of Korea to Spain, said, "This year marks the 60th anniversary since Koreans, centered on distant-water fishing, established a foothold in Las Palmas," adding, "Along with the miners and nurses dispatched to Germany at the time, they made a major contribution to Korea's foreign currency earnings, but it seems they have not received sufficient attention in comparison, which is regrettable."
He went on to say, "You, who shed blood and sweat far from home and contributed to the economic development of the poor homeland through fishing, are the true patriots of the sea," adding, "Remembering the past 60 years, we will build a brighter next 60 years."