Safety fences will be installed along the Yeongdo pojangmacha strip, a popular waterfront destination in Busan known for its harbor atmosphere, after a string of falls into the sea prompted authorities to act.
According to Yeongdo-gu, the Busan Port Authority will spend 100 million won ($74,600) to install safety fences around the small-boat wharf area of the pojangmacha strip in Namhang-dong. Yeongdo-gu will take over management of the facility afterward.
The Yeongdo pojangmacha strip sits alongside a small wharf where fishing and leisure vessels moor, drawing visitors who come to eat, drink and soak in the working-harbor atmosphere unique to Busan.
But with the stalls operating right at the water's edge, concerns have long been raised about the risk of visitors falling in — and accidents have in fact followed.
Around midnight on Oct. 9, a person in their 40s fell into the sea near the strip while intoxicated and was rescued by the coast guard. On Friday at around 6 p.m., two people who had been drinking fell into the water while moving through the area; both were rescued by the coast guard and taken to hospital.
A total of four fall incidents near the Yeongdo pojangmacha strip have been reported this year.
betterj@heraldcorp.com
