Seoul's coastal VTS centres to come under coastguard control

摘要

In the wake of the VLCC Hebei Spirit oil spill, South Korea's Prime Minister's Office has decided to transfer control of coastal vessel traffic services (VTS) from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport to the Korea Coast Guard. On the morning of 7 December 2007, a crane barge owned by Samsung HI was being towed when it came into contact with the Hebei Spirit, which was anchored in Daesan and carrying 260,000 tonnes of crude oil. Three of the VLCC's five tanks were punctured, leaking 10,800 tonnes of crude oil into the Yellow Sea near Malllipo Beach.