A Study on the Reform of the Maritime Traffic Safety Assessment Review Committee in Korea

This study analyzes the operation of the Maritime Traffic Safety Assessment (MTSA) Review Committee in Korea and proposes reform measures to enhance its efficiency and expertise. By examining 256 assessment cases conducted from 2010 to 2024, the research reveals a significant structural discrepancy between the types of development projects and the committee's current composition. While port development and offshore wind projects constitute a major portion of the assessments, the committee membership is heavily skewed toward ship operation experts, lacking sufficient representation in port engineering and marine energy sectors. Statistical analysis demonstrates that offshore wind projects have a significantly higher probability of receiving conditional approvals, highlighting the urgent need for specialized technical verification. Consequently, the study recommends three key improvements: diversifying the committee's expertise to reflect changing marine development trends, institutionalizing a pre-review system to ensure in-depth discussions, and centralizing administrative operations under a specialized agency. These reforms aim to transform the committee into a professional safety governance body, ensuring objective assessments and effectively preventing potential maritime accidents in an era of complex marine spatial utilization.