Sea transportation has long been a vital component of the transport systems of the world. The great majority of imports and exports to and enlarge their national merchant marines. This effort is meant partly to arrest earlier trends of having their trade carried by ships from outside the region and partly to promote regional integration and improve the national balance of payments. However, sea transportation has been exposed to various types of threats on the high seas, in coastal waters and in port areas. Piracy is any robbery or other violent action, for private ends and without authorization by public authority, committed on the seas. Because piracy has been regarded as an offense against the law of nations, the public vessels of any state have been permitted to seize a pirate ship, to bring it into port, to try the crew(regardless of their nationality or domicile), and, if found guilty, to punish them and to confiscate the ship. Piracy has occurred in all stages of maritime history. The increased size of merchant vessels, the improved naval patrolling of most ocean highways, the regular administration of most islands and land areas of the world, and the general recognition by governments of piracy as an international offense resulted in a great decline in piracy in the 19th and 20th centuries. Piracy has, however, occurred in the 20th century, and the practice of hijacking ships has developed into a new form of piracy. The number of incidents of sea piracy against ships reported was 229 in 1997. Since 1991, 1,051 such acts have been reported. The purpose of this research is to examine the origin and development of the piracy to understand the current situation of such violence on the seas. In addition, what should be done by international community will be presented to prevent the piracy in the future.

해적행위는 오래 전부터 국제범죄로 인정되어 왔으며, 해적행위를 행하는 자는 인류공동의 적으로 간주되고, 국제관습법상 어떠한 국가의 군함 또는 정부명령을 받은 선박으로도 해적을 공해상에서 나포하여 자국항으로 연행해 처벌할 수 있다. 1982년 유엔해양법협약에서는 해적행위를 "사적인 목적을 위하여 민간 선박의 승무원 또는 승객이 공해상 또는 어떤 국가의 관할권 밖의 지역에서 다른 선박, 승무원 또는 재산에 대하여 자행하는 모든 불법폭력·구금 또는 약탈행위"라고 정의하고 있으며, 더 나아가 해적행위에는 그러한 행위를 의도적으로 조장 또는 선동하는 행위와 그 선박이 해적 선박임을 알면서도 그 선박의 운항에 자발적으로 참여한 행위도 포함된다고 규정하고 있다. 이러한 해적행위에 대처하기 위해 국제기구는 물론 우리나라 정부도 해적행위에 적극적으로 대처해 오고 있으나, 해적행위는 점점 흉포화 되고 있으며, 매년증가추세에 있다 따라서 이 논문은 해상에서의 안전한 선박운항을 확보하기 위해 형사법적, 사법적, 국제적 대응방안을 제시하는 것을 목적으로 하고 있다.