Yoon, I.J., 2018. Perspectives of Government Officials and Professional Experts on the Hydrographic Surveying of Bathing Beaches in the Republic of Korea. In: Shim, J.-S.; Chun, I., and Lim, H.S. (eds.), Proceedings from the International Coastal Symposium (ICS) 2018 (Busan, Republic of Korea). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 85, pp. 1376–1380. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.

This study aimed to investigate and present stakeholders' perspectives on hydrographic surveys of bathing beaches in the Republic of Korea. Questionnaires targeting local government officials and hydrographic survey experts were designed, distributed, and collected. Hydrographic survey experts were found to be more supportive than local government officials towards the necessity for legally enforced beach boundaries with exact coordinates, survey-based decisions, participation of registered surveying businesses, and equal intervals of measuring lines. In contrast, local government officials were more supportive of voluntarily set beach boundaries, provision of technical guidance, and different intervals of measuring lines. These results indicate the existence of complicated dynamics and ambiguities surrounding hydrographic surveying in Korea. Overall, the survey answers were influenced by administrative responsibilities and relevant expertise. Based on these results, 98.2% of bathing beaches should require no more than 41 measuring lines, reducing the time and budget required for surveying. Following the passage of the Act on the Use and Management of Bathing Beaches in 2014, stakeholders are facing a paradigm shift in beach management with regard to natural conditions and the long-term development of bathing beaches.