The Korean Register of Shipping has again urged the Government to increase the number of flag state inspections to help improve safety on KR-classed v

[주영권]

The Korean Register of Shipping has again urged the Government to increase the number of flag state inspections to help improve safety on KR-classed vessels and reduce detention rates.
This follows the news that Japan and Hong Kong detailed 29 Korean ships in 2001, while Russia held two ships and China one, according to South Korea's Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries in advance of official figures being released by the Tokyo Memorandum of Understanding on port state Control which records detentions for both flag and classification society. It is believed that Korean-flagged ships were detained in 6.95% of detentions.
Captain Tae-Woo Kim, KR's Managing Director, said: "The Governments is working hard on this and we think the ratio this year will be less than the regional average." The 2000 record for the national flat was an 8.9% detention ratio, above the regional average of 6.87%.
The Korean classification society has already improved its detention results and has been helping the Government with ways to improve the condition and reputation of ships flying the Korean flag.
Meanwhile, KR said its US Coast Guard records have improved and are considered good. Last year, KR had only one class detention in the US, compared to three in 2000 and the same number in 1999.
KR, together with Japan's Class NK, CCS(China) and the India Register of Shipping, had formed a study group with the aim of working to-wards the introduction of tougher standards to improve the quality of new buildings and older vessels. The group is focusing on 14 areas, including construction analysis and corrosion control and prevention.