"Sea of Oil" off South Korea Coast

South Korea's largest oil spill reached part of the country's scenic and environmentally sensitive western shore on Saturday as the coast guard struggled in high waves and strong winds to keep more oil from washing up on beaches.

Hundreds of troops, police and residents used buckets to remove dense crude oil from Mallipo -- one of South Korea's best-known beaches -- as tides of dark sea water crashed ashore. The odour could be smelled a kilometre away.

The Coast Guard plans to mobilize 103 vessels and six helicopters Saturday in an effort to clean it up, Jung said, adding that the operation was expected to take at least three days.

Chang Geun-ho, an official of the Maritime and Fisheries Ministry, said Friday that the extent of environmental damage would depend on the success of the containment operation, though he added that cold winter temperatures could help slow the spread of the oil slick by freezing it.

“We are worried about an ecological disaster,” said Kim Jong-Sik, an official with the ministry of maritime affairs and fisheries, adding: “This is the country’s worst oil spill.”

“We have set up a boom, trying to stop oil from spreading along the coast, but oil sometimes overflows, it depends on the currents.”