Budget ministry pledges support for Coast Guard's patrol cutter program
SEJONG, Sept. 21 (Yonhap) -- The budget ministry on Monday pledged budget suppor...
South Korea plans to increase its 3,000-ton-class Coast Guard patrol fleet from 11 vessels to 17 by 2030, according to the Ministry of Planning and Budget. This expansion aims to strengthen maritime sovereignty in key areas, particularly in the West Sea, and to combat illegal foreign fishing vessels. The ministry announced that the budget proposal for the Coast Guard for the following year is 2.23 trillion won, a 6.7% increase compared to this year's budget of 2.09 trillion won.
The increase in fleet size is intended to enhance the Coast Guard's ability to conduct longer-range and longer-duration patrols in wider waters, including areas with unsettled maritime boundaries such as the Korea-China Provisional Measures Zone. Historically, the government has focused on replacing aging vessels when adding large patrol ships.
However, the latest plan emphasizes expanding operational capabilities to safeguard maritime security and national sovereignty. A significant portion of the 51.2 billion won allocated in next year's budget will be used to launch the expansion.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
