Overview
- The 26,546-ton Queen Jenuvia II struck a submerged rock near Jok Islet by Jangsan Island around 8:17 p.m. local time while sailing from Jeju to Mokpo with 267 people aboard.
- All passengers and crew were evacuated within about three hours, with 27 reporting minor injuries, bow damage noted, and no flooding detected.
- The ferry was refloated and returned to Mokpo at about 5:44 a.m., with 118 vehicles on board, as the operator suspended services pending inspections.
- The Coast Guard cites likely human error after initial interviews indicated the navigator relied on autopilot in a narrow channel and was distracted by a mobile phone; alcohol tests were negative.
- The first mate and three helmsmen were booked on gross negligence charges, two were taken into emergency custody, and investigators secured the voyage data recorder and CCTV as criminal inquiries proceed.