According to the ministry, starting July 1, the cap on port facility security fees will increase by 68% compared to the previous year.
Facility owners will collect a certain fee from shipping companies, cargo owners, and passengers to cover the costs of hiring security personnel and installing security facilities and equipment. When the basis for collecting security fees was established in 2010, the cap was set at around 10% of the costs incurred for security to alleviate the burden on logistics expenses.
Since then, incidents such as cyberattacks on port facilities and illegal drone activities have increased, yet the existing security fees were lower than those at major overseas ports. For instance, the fees at Busan Port were 4.6 times lower than those in China and 70 times lower than in the Netherlands.
Concerns about the inadequacy of the port security system were also raised during the confirmation hearing for Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Hwang Jong-woo.
In response, the ministry conducted a study on the security costs of major port facilities nationwide starting in 2022 to raise the security fee cap. Based on the research findings, the ministry established the final increase criteria through consultations with stakeholders and financial authorities.
As a result, the security fee, which was previously 3 won per ton of vessel weight, will rise to 5 won, while the fee for each passenger, which was 120 won, is expected to increase to 200 won. However, fees for empty containers and transshipments will be exempt.
Kim Hye-jung, director of the Shipping and Logistics Bureau at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, stated, "The increase in the cap on security fees is expected to provide a more secure management of ports, which are critical national facilities. We also plan to carefully assess the impact on port cargo volumes."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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