A metal fence was erected between the first dock of the Seogwipo Port and the NFFC fish market for security reasons.
However, the area is no longer in the security zone, according to the revised Harbor Act. Residents are calling for the removal of the steel fence that hinders the view of Seogwipo waters.
Mike Laidman reports.

This metal fence was built for safety and security reasons when the Seogwipo Port was still under designation as a national trading port.

However, the managing entity of the port was changed from the national government to the local government in 2009 with the revision of the Harbor Act, and accordingly, the port was removed from the security area list.
But the metal fence still remains between the first dock of the Seogwipo Port and the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives fish market, running 300 meters along the seashore.


Fishermen and area residents are at odds with the fence, and are often joined by Olle walkers in voicing their displeasure. They want the fence dismantled as it blocks the magnificent view of the coast.

About 30 local groups, including the Seogwipo branch of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Jeju Olle Foundation, are running a campaign to make the Seogwipo Port more attractive to visitors.
They expect that more people will make the effort to visit if the now hidden beauty of the area is revealed, boosting the local economy.

Meanwhile, the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives, which uses the facilities in the Seogwipo Port, is on the other side of the fence when it comes to the issue.

It argues that if the structure is removed, visitors will be more exposed to accidents, and the temporary structures legally built for fishermen along the shore would have to be torn down.


On top of this, the Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea is recommending that fences be installed near national and local ports to prevent illegal immigrants from entering as the island adopts a visa waiver program.

The province says that the fence is only recommended, not a legally-bound order. T4 Therefore, it will listen to local voices before it makes a final decision on how it will move ahead.

Mike Laidman, KCTV