South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) is acting to safeguard the welfare of Hanjin Shipping’s seafarers as the bottleneck involving the company’s ships stretches into a fourth week.

Fifty-nine of the 97 container ships operated by Hanjin Shipping are crewed in-house. The company employs 1,238 seafarers, 518 of which are South Koreans and the rest foreigners.

Of the 38 ships that are waiting in the open seas, 22 have discharged their onboard cargoes. Nine others have been loaded and are waiting in overseas ports, while seven vessels are still waiting in open seas outside Busan, Incheon, and Gwangyang, pending berthing.

The ministry’s checks show that of the ships crewed by Hanjin Shipping, six have enough daily necessities for 10 days; 13 have enough for 20 days; 19 have enough for 30 days; and 21 are amply supplied for more than 30 days.

With regard to the ships that have enough supplies for 10 days, Hanjin Shipping is planning to replenish their stocks after 24 other vessels have been restocked. Going forward, the plan is to ensure that the affected ships have sufficient daily necessities for at least 15 days.

In order to provide support to the stranded seafarers, Hanjin Shipping is working with the Korea Shipowners’ Association, and the liner operator’s labour union is working with the Federation of Korea Seafarers’ Union, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and various South Korean consulates have set up points of contact.

The MOF will pay special attention to vessels that have been waiting for more than 15 days, especially the 19 ships that are waiting in or off South Korean ports. Inspectors from Busan Regional Office of Oceans and Fisheries will check on the crew in those vessels to ensure they have sufficient necessities and relieve psychological stress and anxieties.

The MOF claimed that the seafarers have been paid their salaries and this is a necessary expense approved by the court.

As for seafarers whose employment contracts have expired and who wish to disembark from the ships, such arrangements will be made immediately.

Each ship has an onboard medical inspector, but in an emergency seafarers will be helicoptered to designated hospitals with all expenses to be borne by Korea P&I Club.

Seafarer welfare charity Mission to Seafarers, concerned about the lack of essential supplies for Hanjin Shipping’s crew, has called on the company to allow its volunteers to assist 2,500 seafarers on all of the liner operator’s vessels.