This image is not related to the article. [Getty Images Bank]
This image is not related to the article. [Getty Images Bank]

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries has been named one of this year's outstanding public safety education institutions, recognized for its expansion of virtual reality-based maritime safety programs.

The Ministry of Interior and Safety announced Tuesday that it had selected nine central government agencies and local authorities that excelled in public safety education last year, based on results of its "2026 Public Safety Education Status Review."

The evaluation covered the 2025 public safety education performance of 268 institutions, including central ministries and local governments. Final selections were made through self-assessments by each institution and a review by the Central Safety Education Inspection Team, composed of private-sector experts.

The nine honorees included three central ministries, four metropolitan and provincial governments, and two city and county-level governments. Among the central ministries, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the Korea Coast Guard and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety were all selected.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries was recognized for strengthening hands-on safety education by expanding its VR-based mobile maritime safety classroom program and regional maritime safety experience centers.

The Korea Coast Guard ran a "Coastal Patrol Volunteer Tour" that allowed citizens to directly inspect coastal facilities, while the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety bolstered drug prevention education through a college student anti-drug outreach program.

Among local governments, Incheon, Gwangju, South Gyeongsang Province and Jeju Special Self-Governing Province were named outstanding metropolitan and provincial governments. Goyang and Gwangju's Gwangsan-gu were selected as outstanding city and county-level governments.

The Ministry of Interior and Safety plans to share the review findings and best practices with relevant agencies, and to continue developing and distributing tailored safety education content for each stage of life through its public safety education platform.

Kim Gwang-yong, head of the ministry's Disaster and Safety Management Headquarters, said the ministry would keep expanding customized safety education that citizens can feel in their daily lives. "Safety begins with small acts of attention and practice in everyday life," Kim said. "We will build the capacity for people to protect themselves."


adastra@heraldcorp.com