Yeongjong-gu District (Mayor Son Hwa-jung) of Incheon will deploy professional water safety guards at Seonnyeobawi Beach ahead of the summer vacation season, even though the beach carries no legal obligation for safety personnel. The district announced on July 20 that it will carry out a water safety management service for Seonnyeobawi Beach from July 17 to Sept. 6.
 [The Korean Today] Yeongjong-gu District CI © Reporter Kim Mi-hee |
Located at 678-188 Eurwang-dong, Seonnyeobawi Beach draws large crowds of vacationers every summer thanks to its scenic views and easy accessibility. However, as it is not designated as a bathing beach under the Act on the Use and Management of Bathing Beaches, the district is under no legal obligation to station safety personnel there.
Despite the absence of any legal requirement, the district decided to deploy guards to prevent safety accidents, taking into account the large number of vacationers who actually visit the beach. The move sees the district taking the initiative to fill a blind spot left outside the safety management system centered on officially designated beaches.
During the service period, three certified water safety management guards will be stationed at Seonnyeobawi Beach. They will carry out comprehensive activities to protect vacationers, including water rescue and first aid, intensive patrols of vulnerable areas along the beach, and prevention of water-related accidents.
Ahead of the service launch, the district urgently deployed two safety management guards to the site on weekends from July 4 to 12, when the peak vacation season began, to close any initial safety gaps.
In addition, the district requested that the area’s name be changed from “bathing beach” to “beach” on major portal web maps such as Naver and Kakao, where the area had been incorrectly marked as an official bathing beach. The measure is intended to ensure that tourists visit with accurate safety information.
However, as Seonnyeobawi Beach is an ordinary coastal area with less safety infrastructure than official bathing beaches and a higher risk of rip currents, the district urged vacationers to refrain from entering the water or swimming recklessly.
Mayor Son Hwa-jung said, “We cannot neglect safety management simply because it is not an official bathing beach, so we will work to ensure that tourists can enjoy their vacations with greater peace of mind,” adding, “I ask vacationers to strictly observe safety rules as well.”
[ Reporter Kim Mi-hee: incheonsouth@thekoreantoday.com ]
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