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Safety Ministry finds multiple regulatory, safety violations for Hangang Bus ferries

Published: 11 Dec. 2025, 20:45

A Hangang Bus ferry is seen near the Jamsil pier in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on Nov. 17. [NEWS1]

After a series of breakdowns and minor accidents rattled the public's confidence in Seoul's Hangang Bus ferries, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on Thursday that the operation suffered from unauthorized navigation buoys, inadequate safety measures and weak lines of communication between operators and local authorities.

The findings came from an inspection team comprising of government officials and outside experts formed last month. The team reviewed the ferries' 28.9-kilometer (18-mile) route, seven vessels, seven piers and emergency response systems between Nov. 21 and 26.

The Interior Ministry said officials found a total of 28 violations of regulations, 39 cases of poor maintenance and 53 areas for which officials recommended improvements.

One of the most serious issues involved four navigation buoys near the Jamsil pier in southern Seoul that had been installed without approval. Navigation markers require authorization from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. The government ordered the city to remove them.

Inspectors also found that some vessels lacked mandatory navigation lights used to signal position and direction and prevent collisions, and that operators had not established channels for relaying incidents or emergencies to the district governments responsible for the ferries' operating areas. The ministry has asked the Seoul Metropolitan Government to address the problem.

According to the inspectors, the city additionally failed to account for the riverbed's shifting depth. The bottom of a ferry sits at approximately 1.3 meters (4.3 feet) below the surface, and the vessel's propeller guard extends that to roughly 1.8 meters. Consequently, the waters along the ferries' routes must be at least 2.8 meters deep.

Members of labor and civic groups hold a press conference in front of Seoul City Hall on Nov. 18, calling for the suspension of Hangang Bus operations. [YONHAP]

Failure to consider the depth of the riverbed caused a ferry to become stuck near Jamsil pier on Nov. 15, a week before the inspection.

At that same pier, as well as the one in Ttukseom, investigators found that operators had not developed procedures to manage confined spaces or had not completed safety evaluations.

Bridge safety issues also surfaced. The fountain at Banpo Bridge obscured navigation markings, and 21 beacons on bridges, including Cheongdam, Dongjak, Dangsan and Seongsan, were found unlit. The Interior Ministry recommended additional markers on bridges with narrow spans or low clearance.

An Interior Ministry official said the government has notified the Seoul city government of the findings and instructed it to correct deficiencies “immediately.”

“Safe operations must be guaranteed for the [Hangang Bus ferries] to remain viable,” said a Seoul city government official. “We will fully implement the government’s recommendations so the service can grow.”

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.