Korea Marine Industry Association joins ICOMIA

The International Council of Marine Industry Associations, ICOMIA, has welcomed the Korea Marine Industry Association as a full member.

The Korea Marine Industry Association (KMIA) has 72 members covering all industry sectors, including marinas. It supports a rapidly growing domestic recreational boating market, with over 100,000 regular users estimated.

The International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA) is the international trade association representing the global marine industry.

New participants, mainly driven by recreational inshore fishing, can be measured by the compulsory boat driving licence scheme run by the Korea Coast Guard Authority. The scheme currently has 320,000 total licences with an annual increase of over 20,000.

The industry is supported by the Korea International Boat Show (KIBS), the IFBSO Platinum Show, which was established in 2008 and is now a joint venture shared with the Recreational Fishing Show. The 2024 exhibition, held in Goyang (near Seoul), attracted more than 60,000 visitors.

“Korea has a strong and growing recreational boating industry,” says Dr. Choong-hwan Kim, special adviser to KMIA and general manager of KIBS. “We are delighted to join ICOMIA as a full member and look forward to being a fully active part of ICOMIA and to support their drive for change in the Asia market.”