Korea Coast Guard
The Korea Coast Guard (KCG; Korean: 해양경찰청; Hanja: 海洋警察廳, Revised Romanization: Haeyang-gyeongchal-cheong, literally Maritime Police Agency) is a South Korean law enforcement sub-agency responsible for maritime safety and control off the coast. The KCG is an independent and external branch of Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.
| Korean Coast Guard 해양경찰청 Haeyang-gyeongchal-cheong | |
|---|---|
KCG emblem | |
Racing stripe | |
Flag Ensign | |
| Abbreviation | KCG |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | July 2017 – present (as 해양경찰청), December 1953 – November 2014 (as 해양경찰청) November 2014 – July 2017 (as 국민안전처 해양경비안전본부) |
| Employees | 10,095 personnel |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| National agency | South Korea |
| Operations jurisdiction | South Korea |
| Constituting instrument |
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| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Incheon, South Korea |
| Elected officer responsible |
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| Parent agency | Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (2017–present) Ministry of Public Safety and Security (2014–2017) Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (1996–2014) Korean National Police Agency (1953–1996) |
The KCG has its headquarters in Incheon, has hundreds of smaller operating stations along the coastline of the Korean Peninsula. It operates 4 classes of heavy vessels (over 1,000 tons), 3 classes of medium vessels (over 250 tons), and 3 classes of light vessels (speedboats over 30 tons). The KCG also uses several types of 'special purpose watercraft', such as firefighting vessels, barges, high-speed scout boats, light patrols, and amphibious hovercraft. The KCG aviation unit fields 6 fixed-wing aircraft and 16 rotary-wing aircraft. The Coast Guard also had its own asymmetric warfare unit named the 'Korean Coast Guard Special Operation Unit'.