A large passenger ferry, the ‘Queen Zenobia 2,’ which was stranded on the uninhabited island Jokdo in Shinan County, South Jeolla Province, was refloated by the Coast Guard early on the morning of the 20th. The vessel, weighing 26,000 tons, is temporarily halting operations for accident investigation and safety inspections after reaching Mokpo harbor approximately nine hours post-incident. Mokpo Coast Guard began inspecting the vessel on the 20th to determine the cause of the stranding.
The Coast Guard plans to use surveillance cameras (CCTV) on both the inside and outside of the vessel, as well as navigation record storage devices, to investigate the precise details of the accident. Since the ship became stranded as if climbing onto the island, a safety inspection for future operations will be conducted simultaneously.
The Coast Guard is focusing on potential negligence, as the route is typically operated by the first mate. It was confirmed that the captain was not in the wheelhouse. The first mate, who was the first to report the incident among the crew, stated that they were supposed to make an almost 90-degree turn before reaching Jokdo to enter Mokpo, but the timing was delayed, leading to the collision with Jokdo.
An official from the Coast Guard explained that the waters around Jangsan Island, where the accident occurred, require careful navigation due to its narrow and shallow routes. Normally, automatic navigation is not used in such narrow passages. There are suggestions of possible drowsy navigation or inattentiveness by the navigator, while both the captain and the navigator’s decision-making processes are under scrutiny.
The ferry operator, SeaWorld Express Ferry, has announced a temporary suspension of operations until the investigation and inspections are complete, canceling their regular service for the day. They began follow-up recovery operations in the morning.
From 7 a.m., passengers were guided on how to retrieve vehicles and cargo listed on the ferry. They had to undergo safety and identification checks by relevant authorities before receiving their belongings.
The ‘Queen Zenobia 2,’ with 267 people onboard, including 246 passengers and 21 crew members, left Jeju for Mokpo, carrying 118 passenger vehicles. The ferry ran aground on the uninhabited island during its voyage. All passengers were rescued by the Coast Guard’s rescue boats, but they had to leave their vehicles and cargo on the ship, staying temporarily at accommodation provided by the ferry operator until the vessel returned to port. The ferry reached Mokpo’s Samhak Wharf at 5:44 a.m., 9 hours and 27 minutes after the accident.
While all passengers were safely rescued, 27 were transported to hospitals after reporting mild pain or stress-related symptoms due to the grounding impact, though no serious injuries were reported.