November 21, 2025
SEOUL – South Korean police on Thursday arrested two crew members of the Queen Jenuvia II after concluding that gross negligence led the passenger ferry to run aground Wednesday evening near Sinan County, South Jeolla Province.
According to the Mokpo Coast Guard, the ferry’s navigator and helmsman were placed under emergency arrest on charges of professional negligence resulting in injury.
The incident occurred as the 26,546-ton vessel was carrying 246 passengers and 21 crew members near the small island Jangsando, in a section of narrow, reef-dense waters that requires manual steering.
During questioning, crew members told investigators that the navigator on duty had been looking at his phone, leaving the vessel on autopilot when it should have been operated manually.
As a result, the ferry sailed past the turning point and struck an uninhabited islet, coming to a halt only after half its hull had run up onto land.
Authorities said the navigator initially claimed the rudder was unresponsive, but later admitted he had been browsing news on his phone and missed the maneuver window.
Police have seized his phone and plan to conduct a forensic analysis to determine his exact activities at the time of the incident.
The helmsman, who was present in the wheelhouse with the navigator at the time of the incident, is also being investigated for failing to override or correct the oversight. Officials are questioning him to clarify why the autopilot was not disengaged as required.
The Coast Guard said both individuals could face detention due to risk of evidence destruction and flight.
The ship’s captain is also under investigation.
Though he was not on duty at the time of the grounding, officials say the captain was obligated to be present due to the high-risk nature of the route. Investigators plan to question him regarding his whereabouts and actions when the incident occurred.
As part of the investigation, authorities stated that the Coast Guard will thoroughly inspect the vessel. Police have secured onboard security camera footage and navigation data records to conduct forensic analyses and determine how the accident occurred.
Scrutiny is also mounting over why maritime traffic controllers failed to detect early signs of the vessel veering off course.
Despite its deviation from its designated course, the Mokpo Vessel Traffic Service did not detect or flag any abnormalities prior to the accident and was only made aware of the situation after the ferry itself reported the grounding.
According to the VTS, the controller on duty was simultaneously overseeing five vessels in the area, including the Queen Jenuvia II. As the ship had appeared to be cruising at a normal speed and the distance between its actual position and the standard route was around 3 kilometers, considered to be a relatively small deviation, the controller may have found it difficult to assess in real time, the center added.
Investigations by the Coast Guard will also include the Mokpo VTS Center to determine its liability to the incident.
The crash left approximately 30 passengers with minor injuries from the impact, all of whom were transferred to nearby hospitals for treatment. No serious injuries were reported.
Of the 30 injured passengers, 26 were discharged Thursday morning. Other passengers who did not require medical attention were either sent home or to hotels nearby.
Despite the size of the vessel and its abrupt grounding, the ferry did not sink nor was it flooded.
All the passengers were safely rescued and evacuated to Mokpo around three hours after the incident took place. The ferry, which initially could not be dislodged, was eventually pulled free by tugboats and then sailed under its own power to a port in Mokpo at 5:44 a.m. on Thursday, around nine hours after it ran aground.
The ferry’s operator, Seaworld, said it has suspended all ferry services until the investigation and safety inspections are completed.
Authorities on Thursday added that they will continue their investigation to determine whether the incident warrants further criminal liability beyond negligence, and are reviewing whether to seek formal arrest warrants for the detained crew.