An image related to the decline of Korean seafarers employed domestically. [Generated with AI]
An image related to the decline of Korean seafarers employed domestically. [Generated with AI]

Korean seafarers are making up a shrinking share of the domestic maritime workforce, now accounting for less than half — about 45 percent — of all crew members employed on vessels in South Korea.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries published the "2026 Korean Seafarer Statistics Yearbook" on Saturday, according to Yonhap News Agency.

The yearbook covers the employment status of domestically working seafarers, hiring trends for Korean and foreign crew members, and wage levels.

As of the end of last year, 60,543 seafarers were employed domestically. Of those, 27,372 — or 45.2 percent — were Korean, down 1,359 from the previous year. The share of Korean crew members among domestically employed seafarers has been on a steady decline.

Foreign seafarers, by contrast, numbered 33,171 at the end of last year, representing 54.8 percent of the total — an increase of 650 from the year before. The majority of foreign crew members come from Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines.

Korean seafarers earned an average monthly wage of 6.55 million won ($4,210), up 310,000 won, or 5.0 percent, from 6.24 million won the previous year. Compared with a decade ago, when the figure stood at 4.42 million won, wages have risen 41.2 percent.

By age group, seafarers aged 60 and older made up the largest share at 12,002, or 43.9 percent. Those in their 40s and 50s followed at 8,448 (30.9 percent), while crew members under 40 numbered 6,922, accounting for 25.2 percent.

The share of seafarers under 40 stood at just 22.1 percent in 2023 before rising to 24.4 percent in 2024, and continued to grow last year.

"While seafarers aged 60 and older still make up a large share, the growing proportion of younger crew members under 40 over the past three years is a positive signal in terms of securing long-term workforce stability and industrial competitiveness," the ministry said.


20ki@heraldcorp.com