President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged Monday to support the Coast Guard’s modernization as he marked the 70th anniversary of its establishment during a ceremony in the western port city of Incheon.

Yoon attended the ceremony at the Ara Seohae lock gate along with some 2,000 people, including government officials, foreign diplomats and the family members of Coast Guard officers killed at sea.

Thanking front-line officers for their service and expressing his respect for the officers killed in the line of duty, Yoon said the Coast Guard has guarded the nation’s maritime sovereignty and security while defending the people’s lives and safety over the last 70 years.

“Thanks to your work, illegally operated foreign vessels have decreased, while the rate of people rescued from maritime accidents has exceeded 99 percent,” he said.

“More than any other time, our seas are being managed safely, but disasters can happen anytime at sea and maritime accidents grow into a large threat if the response is even a little late,” he added. “I ask you to do your utmost to thoroughly prepare against and swiftly respond to maritime accidents in order to protect the people’s lives and safety at sea.”

Yoon also said the nation can grow into a “new maritime power” at the forefront of the global market only when the Coast Guard is safely defending its seas.

“To achieve this, the government will actively support the establishment of a maritime information platform that is based on cutting-edge technologies,” he said, noting the system will use satellites, drones, robots and reconnaissance aircraft to analyze data and expand the Coast Guard’s coverage of waters to help it better respond to maritime disasters.

Source: Yonhap News Agency