As safety incidents involving beachgoers have increased along the East Coast, Sokcho City is intensifying its administrative efforts to create a safe summer destination by enhancing preventive safety management and a rapid rescue and emergency transport system at its beaches.
Before the beach openings, Sokcho conducted systematic risk assessments to analyze potential hazards. Based on these evaluations, the city has readjusted swimming areas and strategically deployed safety personnel and rescue equipment, establishing a scientific and systematic safety management system.
Sokcho has collaborated closely with police, fire departments, and maritime police to strengthen on-site safety management at its four beaches: Sokcho, Oeongchi, Lighthouse, and Cheongho, ensuring that visitors can enjoy water activities with peace of mind.
Prior to the beach openings, the city conducted comprehensive risk assessments, examining underwater topography, depth changes, hazard distribution, existing safety facilities, and appropriate safety personnel. Areas with a high likelihood of accidents were excluded from swimming zones, allowing only relatively safe areas to be utilized.
To enhance safety, safety buoys have been installed in areas with a depth of 1.5 meters or less, allowing visitors to easily identify safe swimming zones visually. This measure is expected to significantly enhance safety for families with children and less experienced swimmers.
The number of on-site safety personnel has also been significantly increased. As of July 22, Sokcho has deployed a total of 53 water safety management personnel, with 46 stationed at Sokcho Beach and three each at Oeongchi, Lighthouse, and Cheongho beaches.
These personnel patrol the waterfront and sea, monitoring visitor safety, conducting rescue operations and first aid in case of drowning incidents, and controlling access during adverse weather conditions. Their primary focus is on preventive measures to eliminate risks before accidents occur.
For Sokcho Beach, which attracts the most visitors, a tailored safety management system is in place based on time of day. As night swimming is permitted, a special duty system has been established to ensure safety during daytime, nighttime, and late-night hours.
During the day, 26 safety personnel are on duty, while 10 are assigned for nighttime. Additionally, from midnight to 9 a.m., dedicated night and early morning safety personnel work in shifts to prepare for potential safety incidents during nighttime hours. This measure reflects the recent trend of increasing nighttime swimming among tourists and aims to minimize safety gaps.
Nighttime safety facilities have also been enhanced. In areas where night swimming is allowed, 20 LED safety buoys have been installed to ensure visibility in dark conditions. In contrast, designated no-swim zones have safety personnel stationed to control access and guide visitors, focusing on accident prevention.
With recent reports of jellyfish appearances and even shark sightings along the East Coast, measures against harmful marine organisms have been strengthened. Sokcho has installed a total of 1.3 kilometers of harmful organism nets in swimming areas at all its beaches.
The installation lengths are 600 meters at Sokcho Beach, 200 meters at Oeongchi Beach, 300 meters at Lighthouse Beach, and 200 meters at Cheongho Beach, effectively blocking harmful organisms like jellyfish and sharks from entering swimming zones.
A comprehensive medical support system has also been established for rapid response to emergencies. A dedicated ambulance staffed with a nurse and driver will be stationed at the main entrance of Sokcho Beach daily from 4 p.m. to midnight during the beach operation period. This ensures that emergency treatment and hospital transport can be carried out swiftly, minimizing medical gaps even when fire department ambulances are not on-site.
Additionally, local community centers conduct regular patrols of the coastal areas and harbors to actively participate in safety management activities.
Sokcho emphasizes the importance of strict adherence to safety regulations by beachgoers. The city advises visitors to check weather information and the presence of dangerous waves and rip currents before swimming, and to avoid entering the water if weather warnings are in effect or if risks are anticipated. For children, it is essential that they are accompanied by guardians, and basic safety rules, such as wearing life jackets, must be followed.
If swept away by a rip current, the safest method is to swim parallel to the shore to escape the current before signaling for help. Visitors are also advised to exit the water immediately upon spotting jellyfish and to seek assistance from safety personnel or medical staff for appropriate first aid if stung.
In the future, Sokcho plans to immediately restrict access to swimming areas during dangerous conditions such as high waves, rip currents, or adverse weather, and will continue to conduct regular inspections of safety personnel, rescue equipment, safety buoys, and harmful organism nets to prevent accidents.
Sokcho Mayor Lee Byeong-seon stated, “Sokcho is deploying personnel and facilities tailored to the characteristics of each beach based on risk assessments and is operating a robust response system in collaboration with relevant agencies. I hope that visitors will also comply with safety regulations and the instructions of safety personnel to ensure a safe and enjoyable summer vacation.”
Meanwhile, Sokcho City has pledged to continuously strengthen its cooperation with relevant agencies during the summer beach operation period and to implement thorough on-site safety management to create a safe marine tourism city where both citizens and tourists can feel secure.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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