The Enhancement of Maritime Safety in Korea: from Risk Management and Safety Culture to Legislation

Seas surrounding the Korean peninsula have become busy shipping lanes and densely fishing areas. This has made ship operations in such seas more vulnerable than before. Ship operations encounter various risks at sea on a daily basis and can be called one of the most risk-prone industries. Maritime accident risks may become initiating factors which in turn may cause accidents at sea. This study has been designed based on the idea that maritime safety can be kept through the management of accident risks at sea. This paper attempts to make an approach towards a proactive way of reducing such risks and focuses on a risk assessment method and on how to implement it on the basis of enactment of relevant provisions on risk assessment. This paper does not say that reactive systems such as ‘law-making after accidents’ are all wrong but it does say that in addition to reactive systems it is necessary to establish a proactive risk-governance system which is able to deal with risks before causing negative effects or accidents. The Korean shipping society will further need a proactive risk- governance in a way in which the culture of maritime safety is promoted.