SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – Oil from a damaged supertanker has reached an ecologically sensitive shoreline on South Korea’s western coast, a Coast Guard official said today.

About 4 miles of coastline near Mallipo beach, approximately 95 miles southwest of Seoul, has been affected by the oil, said Jung Se-hi, a spokesman at the Coast Guard headquarters in Incheon. The region is popular for its scenic beaches and is also the site of fish farms, a national maritime park and an important rest stop for migrating birds.

Some 2.7 million gallons of oil gushed from a 146,000-ton Hong Kong-registered supertanker after a Samsung Corp. vessel slammed into it. South Korea’s Coast Guard dispatched dozens of ships Friday to try to contain and keep it from reaching the sensitive shoreline. But strong winds and currents carried the oil slick to the coast.

AP-ES-12-07-07 2156EST