Embassy of the Republic of Korea
to the Independent State of Papua New Guinea

Improving maritime safety and security in Papua New Guinea is necessary to avoid ferry disasters in future, Korean Ambassador to PNG KIM Seong-choon says, this was during the US$ 200,000 memorandum of agreement signing by Ambassador KIM at his residence. Also present during the signing was the PNG NMSA boss PaulUnas and Captain Nurur Rahman. The agreement was between the PNG National Maritime Safety Authority and the Korean International Corporation Agency through the Korean Embassy. The grant assistance through the MoA will be used to buy Aid to Navigation (AtoN) Ais equipment to improve maritime safety and security in the country. Ambassador KIM referred to the recent ferry incident in Korea that killed 300 passengersand the mv Rabaul Queen disaster, which claimed nearly 300 lives in 2012, were great lessons for the two countries to improve on the safety of ships and marine equipment for safer operations. He said, the signing of the agreement will improve aids to navigation in PNG with the main beneficiaries being the rural population.
 Mr. Paul Unas,said the need to improve maritime safety is of great importance however getting help from the government can be difficult. He said partnering with the Korean government to assist with improving navigational aids in the country not only helps in maritime safety but is also vital for the country’s economy as most trade is conducted by sea.
 The agreement will improve effectiveness of PNG navigation aids management and remote monitoring and control system using advanced IT technology and solar power supply.
 PNG has so far 280 lighthouses in the country with the project introduce new equipment that will improve maritime safety.