World · East Asia & Pacific · 2 hrs ago
367 South Korean coast guard officers died or were injured on duty in four years
From 2023 through June 2026, 367 South Korean coast guard officers died or were injured on duty, according to figures provided to a lawmaker by the Korea Coast Guard.
Three officers died and 364 were injured, with about 100 casualties recorded in each full year.
Rough sea conditions caused the most injuries, while rescue work, training and enforcement operations also put officers at risk.
Over the same period, eight coast guard employees died by suicide, and 17,022 requests for professional counselling were recorded in three years and seven months.
Mental health support budgets have not kept pace: the counselling and treatment program budget has stayed near 440 million won since 2024, while the forest therapy budget fell by about 30% from 2024 to this year.
Participation in forest therapy also dropped, from 430 people in 2023 to 137 by July this year.
A lawmaker is calling for expanded care and more funding so officers can receive help earlier; no government response or next step was reported.
A total of 367 South Korean coast guard officers died or were injured while on duty from 2023 through June 2026.
The total included three officers who died and 364 who were injured.
A lawmaker said that psychological support budgets were frozen or cut despite rising demand for counseling.
Eight coast guard employees died by suicide during the period, and five were classified as being at high risk of suicide.
- Who
- South Korean coast guard officers; the figures were provided to lawmaker Yoon Jun-byeong by the Korea Coast Guard.
- What
- 367 officers died or were injured while performing their duties. A lawmaker called for expanded psychological support and increased funding.
- When
- From 2023 through June 2026.
- Where
- South Korea’s coast guard service, including officers working in difficult maritime conditions.
- Why
- Officers were hurt or died while on duty, and many sought counseling for PTSD or depression; the lawmaker said support funding should increase.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
98 coast guard officers died or were injured on duty.
The number of officers who died or were injured on duty rose to 121; the forest therapy program budget was 120 million won.
110 officers died or were injured on duty.
A further 38 officers had died or been injured on duty, bringing the total since 2023 to 367.
137 officers had participated in the forest therapy program, compared with 430 in 2023.
- On-duty deaths and injuries
- 367 from 2023 through June 2026
- Deaths
- 3 officers
- Injuries
- 364 officers
- Suicides
- 8 coast guard employees during the same period
- Counseling demand
- 17,022 professional counseling visits over three years and seven months
- Forest therapy budget
- 85 million won in 2026, down from 120 million won in 2024
1 source
What people are saying
We must not leave coast guard heroes, who have suffered deep wounds to body and mind while dedicating themselves to the people, isolated.
We must expand the psychological healing system and dramatically increase the budget so that meaningful early intervention can take place.