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Maritime traffic control failed to spot listing ferry before crash, agency chief says

Published: 20 Nov. 2025, 18:15 Updated: 20 Nov. 2025, 18:21

The Queen Jenuvia II, a large passenger ship that ran aground on Jokdo, an uninhabited island in Shinan County, South Jeolla, on Nov. 19, is being towed away by the Coast Guard in the early hours of Nov. 20. [MOKPO COAST GUARD]

Maritime traffic controllers failed to spot a passenger ferry carrying 267 people as it veered off course before running aground off Shinan County on Wednesday night, authorities said, raising questions about oversight as investigators probe the accident.

Kim Sung-yoon, head of the Mokpo Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) Center, said Thursday the monitoring team only learned of the grounding after the ferry reported it.

“VTS became aware of the grounding only after we received a report from the passenger vessel, and I regret this as someone responsible for traffic control," Kim said at a press briefing.

Kim said there "appeared to be shortcomings" in how the center handled the incident, adding that investigators would determine where responsibility lies.

“Any issues involving VTS oversight will be clarified through the investigation,” he said.

Passengers from the Queen Jenuvia II are escorted to the Mokpo Coast Guard pier in Mokpo, South Jeolla, on Nov. 19 after being rescued. The vessel, carrying 267 people, ran aground near Jokdo, an island in Shinan County, at 8:17 p.m. that day. [YONHAP]

The Queen Jenuvia II departed Jeju on Wednesday and entered waters off Shinan County, where it failed to make a timely turn in a designated course-change zone and drifted off its usual route.

The distance between the turning point and Jukdo, the islet the ferry struck, is about 1.6 kilometers (1 mile). Based on the vessel’s speed, it sailed off course for roughly three minutes before the grounding.

But the controller responsible for monitoring roughly 8,000 square meters (86,111 square feet) of sea did not identify any irregularities before or immediately after the grounding, and only became aware of the situation once the ferry reported it.

Kim said the vessel appeared to be traveling at normal speed when it entered the area.

“The accident point was extremely close to the usual route, and the vessel was moving at high speed, so it seems the controller was unable to initiate communication," Kim said.

The controller on duty was monitoring five vessels in the area, including the Queen Jenuvia II, while many nearby fishing boats were not subject to VTS oversight, Kim said.

The Mokpo Coast Guard has arrested the ferry’s first officer and an Indonesian helmsman on suspicion of gross negligence resulting in injury. Investigators say the two may have failed to navigate safely because they were looking at their mobile phones.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM JI-HYE [[email protected]]