Korea Coast Guard

Korea Coast Guard Maritime Security and Safety Headquarters 해양경비안전본부
Seal of the Republic of Korea Coast Guard
Active	December 1953 – November 2014 (as 해양경찰청) November 2014 – (as current)
Country	South Korea
Type	Coast guard
Size	10,095 personnel 292 ships, 23 aircraft(2011)
Part of	Ministry of Public Safety and Security (2014~ ) Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (1996~2014) Korean National Police Agency (1953~1996)
Anniversaries	December 23
Commanders
Commissioner General	Hong Ik Tae
Insignia
Ensign
Racing stripe
Aircraft flown
Helicopter	Bell-412SP, Ka-32C, AW139, AS565MB
Patrol	CN-235, CL-604, C-212

The Korea Coast Guard (KCG; Korean: 해양경비안전본부; Hanja: 海洋警備安全本部, Revised Romanization: Haeyang-gyeongbi-anjeon-bonbu, literally Maritime Security and Safety Headquarters) is a sub-agency responsible for maritime safety and control off the coast of South Korea. On November 19, 2014, the previous Korea Coast Guard (Korean: 해양경찰청; Hanja: 海洋警察廳, Revised Romanization: Haeyang-gyeongchal-cheong, literally Maritime Police Agency) was disbanded and its main responsibilities transferred to the newly formed Ministry of Public Safety and Security. The previous KCG was an external branch of Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries in peacetime.

The KCG has its headquarters in Songdodong, Incheon, and has hundreds of smaller operating stations along the coastline of the Korean Peninsula. It operates 4 classes of heavy vessels (over 1000 tons), 3 classes of medium vessels (over 250 tons), and 3 classes of light vessels (speedboats over 30 tons). The KCG also uses several types of 'special purpose watercraft', such as firefighting vessels, barges, high speed scout boats, light patrols, and amphibious hovercraft. The KCG aviation unit fields 6 fixed-wing aircraft and 16 rotary-wing aircraft. The Coast Guard also had its own asymmetric warfare unit, the 'Korean Coast Guard Special Operation Unit'.

The Coast Guard Authority was formed on 23 December 1953 in Busan, at the same time a Maritime Police Unit was also established as part of the National Police Agency. In October 1962, new bases were established in Incheon, Yeosu, Pohang, and Kunsan. In February 1963, the aviation unit of the KCG closed, though it reopened in the 80's. From 1980 onwards the KCG greatly expanded its fleet, and in August 1991 the Police Unit was renamed the Korea National Maritime Police Agency. In 2007 the Korea National Maritime Police Agency was integrated into the Coast Guard. In the early 21st century, the fleet expanded to include various vessels of over 3,000 tons, and as of January 2002, the 'Korean Coast Guard Special Operation Unit' was officially formed. In the May 2008, the "Search & Rescue Maintenance Unit" was newly constructed, and as of late 2008, various sub-agencies changed infrastructural composition. Before its disestablishment the Korean Coast Guard had planned to field more vessels over 5000 tons by 2015, and to significantly expand its asymmetric warfare force through encouraging participation from other police branches.