South Korea’s Coast Guard is continuing an intensive investigation into last week’s grounding of the passenger ferry Queen Jenuvia II, which was carrying 246 passengers and 21 crew. The Mokpo Coast Guard has sought a warrant for the captain’s arrest after arresting the chief officer on watch and the helmsman, both suspected of gross negligence resulting in passenger injuries. The scope of the investigation is now widening.
After questioning the two suspects, investigators interviewed seven additional crew members as witnesses. Local media reports cite Coast Guard findings suggesting the captain may not have been on the bridge while the ferry transited a narrow, busy approach channel into Mokpo port—an alleged lapse that investigators view as a potential failure of duty for safe navigation. Reports say the captain was resting in his cabin at the time of the incident.
What investigators say happened
The 26,000-gross-ton ferry was travelling at its normal speed of about 20 knots as it approached Mokpo after roughly a four-hour voyage from the popular tourist island of Jeju.
The chief officer initially blamed a steering gear malfunction, but later admitted he had been distracted while reading news on his mobile phone. Investigators say the vessel missed a critical turn and struck an uninhabited island. According to the latest Coast Guard figures, 78 people, including a pregnant woman, received medical treatment after the incident.
Investigators also say the helmsman was distracted. He stated he was watching the gyrocompass, but authorities claim the ferry had been left on autopilot in an area where manual steering was required due to the confirmed, heavy traffic close to the port.
Safety systems and VTS under review
The Coast Guard says it is examining a broad range of material, including:
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routine inspection checklists,
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operating procedures,
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the vessel’s Safety Management System (SMS),
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and crew training practices.
They added that questioning of the person responsible for onboard safety was delayed because the individual was meeting with legal counsel.
Authorities are also investigating the Mokpo Regional Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) centre, which oversees ship movements in the port area. Media reports say investigators want to understand why the VTS operator did not detect the ferry’s apparent deviation from its usual track, given that VTS systems monitor vessel course and speed.
According to reports, the controller was focused on another large vessel that had also strayed outside the normal lane and did not notice Queen Jenuvia II leaving its lane. Media also claim the VTS centre had disabled certain alarms because small fishing boats under 20 metres frequently triggered alerts even when they were not required to follow specific traffic lanes.
