이 연구의 목적은 연안여객선의 운영실태와 문제점을 살펴보고, 사고 예방을 위한 효과적인 운영방안을 고찰하는 것이다. 일반 적으로 여객선 사고는 세월호·서해훼리호 사고 등에서 알 수 있듯이 인명·재산·해양환경 등에 막대한 피해는 물론 재난으로 확대되는 경 향이 있어 사고를 예방할 수 있는 근본적인 대책이 필요하다. 연안여객선 안전관리에 있어서 최대의 난제는 세월호 사고에서도 드러났듯 이 선박의 노후화와 선원의 열악한 근무환경이다. 이를 해결하기 위해 정부가 이차보전사업, 선박현대화 펀드, 보조항로 준공영제 도입 등의 정책을 추진하고 있으나, 제대로 실현되지 않고 있다. 이는 대다수 선사가 영세하고, 해상의 대중교통이 정책적 우선순위에서 육상 의 대중교통에 비해 소외되어 선체 노후화 심화, 여객 수요 감소, 선사의 재정 악화, 여객과 안전에 대한 재투자 감소, 다시 여건 악화로 이어지는 악순환이 반복되고 있기 때문이다. 이에 연안여객선 안전관리 현황 및 운영실태, 사고 현황 및 사례, 선원의 현황 및 실태, 국내 외 연안여객선 운영 사례, 연안여객선 종사자의 설문조사 및 인터뷰 등을 토대로 연안여객선의 공영제 실시, 여객선 안전관리 해양경찰청 으로 일원화 등의 연안여객선의 효과적인 운영방안을 제시한다.

As passenger ship accidents so frequently have occurred, crisis consciousness is highly aroused in Korean society. Although bombastic policy guidlines were suggested in accordance with every passenger ship accident, there remains a still high possibility of such an accident reoccurring because passenger ship accidents occur from the perspective of non-compliance. The research objective of this study is to government's safety regulatory policies. Data for the analysis was collected from literature review. A Case study related to passenger ship accident is adopted for the analysis. The research methods utilized in this study consist of extensive quantitative analysis of 138 passenger ship accidents which had happened over last 10 years from 1984 to 1993 in Korea and a qualitative analysis of the passenger ship accident of the Seohae Ferry in October 1993. The results of the quantitive analysis on the 138 passenger ship accidents are as follows; Seeing the accidents yearly, the accidents which occurred by policy non-compliance are still exist, only somewhat reduced as years gone by. Seeing the accidents from the perspective of types of accident, fire accidents and death and injury accidents had more non-compliance factors than contact accidents and one-side collision accidents, etc. had. Seeing the accidents from the perspectives of types of passenger ship, large ships like car ferries and general passenger ship accidents had more non-compliance factors than any other kinds of ships had. Seeing the accidents from the perspectives of tons of passenger ships, large ships weighing more than 1, 000 tons and small ships weighing less than 50tons contained a lots of non-compliance factors. The results of the qualitative analysis of the passenger ship accident of the Seohae Ferry in Octovber 1993 are as follows; From the viewpoint of the human factor, there were non-compliance to the recruiting of required number of qualified crew members and non-compliance to the rule which prohibited them from leaving port in bad weather and high wave conditions. From the viewpoint of the ship factor, there were defects in the ship. So we might say that there was non-compliance which was aroused from the lacks of technical skills. From the viewpoint of the administrative factor, there were many non-compliance factors such as sailor education, shipping management, rescue, safety equipment. From the viewpoint of the passenger factor, there were passengers' threats which compelled the crews to leave the port under bad weather conditions. In conclusion, the principal non-compliances factors are passenger ship company did not follow safety rules such as shipping the permitted number of passengers, loading permitted tons of freight and fastening freights properly and recruiting required number of qualified crew. In order to reduce accidents, firstly we should find out the causes which play key roles in passenger ship companies' non-compliance to the government's safety regulations. Secondly we should tackle the causes.