Over 100 Civil Complaints Filed Against Access Restrictions at Tidal Flat Where Coast Guard Officer Died—Who Is Behind Them?

[Financial News] After a Coast Guard officer died in the tidal flats of Ongjin County, authorities began considering designating the area as a restricted access zone. Since then, a wave of opposition has emerged, with nearly 100 complaints filed just this month.
According to Ongjin County on the 25th, from the 1st to the 23rd, a total of 97 civil complaints opposing the restrictions on the Naeri Tidal Flat, Yeongheung-myeon, were submitted through e-People and other channels (excluding telephone complaints). Most of the objections reportedly came from members of hobby groups who collect shellfish and seafood in the tidal flats.
In response, Ongjin County stated that requesting access restrictions is permissible under relevant laws and emphasized that the measure aims to prevent coastal accidents. The Coastal Accident Prevention Act assigns the responsibility to both the national and local governments to protect citizens’ lives, bodies, and property from coastal accidents.
Based on this legal foundation, Ongjin County officially requested last month that the Incheon Maritime Police Station designate the Naeri Tidal Flat as a restricted access area. On September 11, Lee Jae-seok, a sergeant from the Incheon Coast Guard, lost his life while rescuing a man in his seventies who had become stranded in the area.
Currently, the Coast Guard is gathering opinions from Ongjin County, local residents, and related online communities while internally reviewing the boundaries of the restricted area. If the area is designated as restricted, entry will be limited during periods of bad weather or at times of heightened risk (mainly at night), and violators may face a fine of up to 1 million won.
Additionally, Ongjin County recently asked the Coast Guard to include three other high-risk locations—Mokseom Island, Cheukdo Island, and Janggyeongri Beach—as restricted areas. The requested zones also cover the waters near Nongeo Rock, Yeongheungdo, where a woman in her forties was swept away and killed by strong currents on the 4th of this month. She had been collecting shellfish and seafood with her husband when the accident occurred.
Meanwhile, in July 2021, a section of the tidal flat at Hanagae Beach in Incheon’s Muui-dong was also designated as a restricted access area.


[email protected] Jung Ji-woo Reporter