The search and rescue service in the Republic of Korea is provided by the Office of Civil Aviation of the Republic of Korea, in collaboration with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Korea Coast Guard (KCG), which have the responsibility for making the necessary facilities available.

The address of the NEMA (National 119 Rescue Service) is as follows:

The address of the KCG is as follows:

The service is provided in accordance with the provisions contained in the following ICAO documents:

Annex 12 - Search and Rescue

Annex 13 - Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation

Doc 7030 - Regional Supplementary Procedures for Alerting and Search and Rescue Services

Doc 9731 - International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue Manual

The area of responsibility for aeronautical search and rescue service is the same as Maritime Search and Rescue Region referred to in Article 2 of the SAR Ordinance of Ministry of the R.O.Korea, and also include Aeronautical Search and Rescue Region referred to in Annex 12 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, 1944 as amended.

The area of responsibility for aeronautical search and rescue service is as follows;

the area except for foreign territorial water within a line connection the above points.

Details of the SAR agencies and SAR assets are given in table on page 3.6-4. In addition various elements of the police organization, the merchant marine, the provincial self-government body and the armed forces are available for SAR missions when required. The Aeronautical, Maritime and public telecommunication service are available to the Search and Rescue Organization.

In case of distress and SAR operations, the following frequencies are to be used :

The Mission Control Center(MCC) of the Republic of Korea is located in the KCG HQs(Incheon), which transmit the ELT signals on COSPAS/SARSAT System to five Local User Terminals on RCCs

The MCC monitors ELT signals on COSPAS/SARSAT System throughout the search and rescue region of the Republic of Korea on 24 hours basis and the receiving frequencies are 121.5MHz, 243.0MHz and 406MHz. In Incheon FIR, all civil airplanes are required to equip 121.5MHz and 406MHz ELTs.

Whenever ELT tests are performed, it must be reported to the MCC.

The rescue organization

When ATS facility has reason to believe that an aircraft in a state of emergency, it will alert and notify it to RCC and an ATS facility will support it. When the location of a civil aircraft which has crashed on land is known, NEMA and the local governments take responsibility for dealing with the incident.

When crashed on ocean the Korea Coast Guard takes responsibility.

Procedures and signals used by aircraft

Procedures for pilot-in-command observing an accident or intercepting distress call and/or message are outlined in the Annex 12 to Convention on International Civil Aviation.

Communications

Transmission and reception of distress message within the search and rescue area are handled in accordance with VolumeⅡ of Annex 10. For communications during search and rescue operations, the Codes and abbreviations published in DOC 8400 are used.

Search and Rescue signals

The search and rescue signals to bel used are those prescribed in ICAO Annex12, Chap 5, para 5.10

Ground/air visual signal codes are as below:

Ground/air visual signal codes for use by survivors

NO	Message	Code Symbol
1	Require assistance
2	Require medical assistance
3	No or Negative
4	Yes or Affirmative
5	Proceeding in this direction

Ground/air visual signal codes for use by survivors

NO	Message	Code Symbol
1	Operation completed
2	We have found all personnel
3	We have found only some personnel
4	We are not able to continue. Returning to base
5	We have divided into two groups. Each proceeding in direction indicated
6	Information received that aircraft is in this direction
7	Nothing found. Will continue to search