Overview
- Investigators are questioning a vessel traffic service operator who turned off a course‑deviation alarm and failed to spot the ferry straying until the bridge reported it; the operator has not been formally booked.
- The first mate and helmsman were arrested after a court approved warrants on concerns over flight risk and evidence destruction, with investigators citing mobile‑phone distraction and reliance on autopilot in a narrow channel.
- The Coast Guard has requested an arrest warrant for the captain on suspicion of gross negligence and Seafarers Act violations, saying he left the wheelhouse to rest despite rules requiring his presence in high‑risk waters.
- The Queen Jenuvia II ran aground near Jok islet at 8:16 p.m. on Nov. 19 while sailing from Jeju to Mokpo; all 267 aboard were rescued and 30 people received hospital treatment for pains.
- A joint inspection by the Coast Guard, Korean Register and National Forensic Service found no structural defects, as forensic analysis of the voyage data recorder, CCTV and crew phones continues and the operator suspends the route through Dec. 31.