Frequent Safety Accidents at Weekend Beaches Lead to Blame Game – Despite critiques about the lack of safety, the authorities remain inactive, drawing heavy criticism for their complacency.
Over the past weekend, a series of water accidents occurred at beaches in Jeju, but neither Jeju Province nor Jeju City have proposed concrete response measures, stating they are still “in discussion for solutions.”
There were ample predictions that crowds could gather even before the peak season, yet no preventive actions were taken, resulting in safety incidents and raising controversy over the avoidance of administrative responsibility.
On the weekend of the 7th, Jeju City’s Jocheon-eup Shinheung-ri Beach saw a large crowd due to the holiday. Tents were set up everywhere, and cars took over the roads, yet it was difficult to find safety personnel or officials managing order.
Our paper had previously reported on site, pointing out traffic congestion and lack of safety management (referenced in our article on the 7th, “When did we say we wouldn’t go to Jeju? As it became a social media hotspot, they flocked here.”).
However, just a week later, on the 14th, a middle school student died while swimming at a nearby Hamdeok Beach, and further accidents occurred the same weekend, including two American teenagers, aged 14 and 16, who drowned at Seogwipo’s Jungmun Saekdal Beach.
Even after media reports and actual fatalities, Jeju Province and Jeju City have only provided basic responses like “currently discussing with related departments.”
A Jeju City official mentioned that the coast guard is responsible for beach safety before official openings, but the coast guard stated that beach water safety prevention activities are not within their duties, which underscores a lack of clarity in task allocation among local authorities.
This accident occurred at a time when an influx of vacationers was foreseeable due to the holiday and hot weather. However, the administrative authorities postponed practical measures like deploying safety personnel and on-site maintenance, citing the official beach openings.
Experts argue, “Regardless of whether the beach is officially open, a safety management system must be operational from the moment crowds gather,” criticizing this as the repetition of impractical administration not grounded in on-site realities.
Jeju Province is set to officially open the beaches early next month, but holiday and weekend crowds are already reaching summer vacation levels. Issues like indiscriminate camping, illegal parking, and lack of safety personnel are recurring every year.
Meanwhile, the lack of a clear accountable body and repeated negotiations among administrative agencies in this accident highlight structural limitations and gaps in administration. Despite prior warnings, Jeju’s passive response and avoidance of responsibility are likely to face significant criticism.