Standing on the shores of Jeju Island, Hong Suk-hui was awaiting his crew’s return when he received a devastating call — his fishing boat had capsized. Just two days earlier, the vessel had left on what was meant to be a productive voyage, but strong winds forced it to turn back. A powerful wave struck from two directions, forming a whirlpool that flipped the boat. Five of the ten crew members, asleep below deck, drowned. “When I heard the news, I felt like the sky was falling,” Hong said, his voice heavy with grief.
Hong’s tragedy reflects a growing crisis in South Korea’s waters. In 2023 alone, 164 people died or went missing in marine accidents — a 75% jump from the previous year. The majority were fishermen whose vessels sank or capsized amid increasingly volatile weather conditions. “The weather has changed; it’s windier every year. Whirlwinds appear suddenly,” said Hong, who chairs the Jeju Fishing Boat Owners Association. “We fishermen are convinced it’s because of climate change.”
Alarmed by the rising fatalities, the South Korean government launched an inquiry. Investigators identified climate change as a major factor alongside an aging workforce, poor safety training, and dependence on migrant labor. According to the National Institute of Fisheries Science, the seas surrounding the Korean Peninsula have warmed by 1.58°C between 1968 and 2024 — more than double the global average. The warming, worsened by the shallow nature of Korean waters, has made storms more frequent and intense, while forcing fish species to migrate to deeper, distant waters.
For many, the impact is deeply personal. On a rainy morning at Jeju’s main harbor, 54-year-old boat owner Kim Seung-hwan watched his crew prepare for another risky voyage. “The winds are unpredictable and extremely dangerous,” he said. Once abundant hairtail fish have nearly vanished, slashing his income in half. His crews now sail as far south as Taiwan, often too far to return when storm warnings arise. “If we stayed close to shore, we couldn’t survive financially,” he admitted.
A government report led by Professor Gug Seung-gi found that marine weather warnings — including gales, typhoons, and storm surges — have risen 65% since 2020. “Small vessels are especially at risk,” he said. Meanwhile, fish stocks continue to dwindle — annual squid catches have fallen by 92% in a decade, and anchovy hauls by nearly half. Veteran fisherman Park Hyung-il, who has fished for 25 years, described his dismay: “We used to fill 100 baskets of anchovies a day. Now we barely fill two.”
The economic strain is pushing the industry toward collapse. Nearly half of South Korea’s fishermen are now over 65, and younger generations are unwilling to replace them. Older captains increasingly depend on foreign laborers from Vietnam and Indonesia, many of whom lack training and struggle with language barriers. “It’s a vicious and tragic cycle,” said environmental advocate Woojin Chung. “More extreme weather, longer journeys, higher fuel costs, and untrained labor — all increase the risk of disaster.”
The tragedy struck again in February when a large trawler sank near Yeosu, killing ten crew members, including 63-year-old Young-mook, who had planned to retire. His daughter, Ean, blames both the worsening weather and lax safety practices. “Companies have insurance for boats,” she said bitterly. “But our loved ones can’t be replaced.”
Authorities are now tightening safety standards — mandating life jackets, installing ladders on vessels, and enforcing training for foreign crew. Fishermen are also being given real-time weather updates and financial aid, while some regions are paying crews to collect jellyfish to restore marine balance.
Yet, as climate change accelerates, the outlook is grim. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation warns that South Korea’s total fish catch could drop by one-third by the end of the century. For many like Captain Park, the profession that once symbolized pride and adventure has become one of fear and loss. “The sea used to give us life,” he said quietly. “Now it’s taking it away.”
