The Coast Guard has released its initial investigation findings.
According to local investigations, a South Korean passenger ferry carrying 267 people crashed on November 19, 2025 (KST) at around 8:17 PM. Off the coast of Sinan in South Jeolla Province, Queen Jenuvia 2 collided with a rocky, uninhabited islet and came to a stop.
The Coast Guard has since rescued all passengers and transported them to the nearby port of Mokpo. By 11:15 PM, all 246 passengers were safely rescued, with 21 crew members remaining on board to assist with towing and other operations. The Coast Guard noted that some passengers suffered minor injuries as a result of the impact.
In addition, the Coast Guard also announced that a helmsman—the crew member in charge of navigation—caused the accident. The initial investigation revealed that the crew member was distracted, looking at his cellphone and engaging in other activities.
The first round of questioning confirmed that the crash occurred after the ferry was switched over to an automatic navigation in a narrow channel. At the time, the navigating officer was looking at his cellphone and left the ship to the autopilot even though that section required manual operation.
As a result, the ferry missed the timing for a course change and ended up plowing toward the island. The Coast Guard announced that both the helmsman and the first mate had been arrested for gross negligence.
According to news reports, the 26,000-ton ferry was headed from Jeju to the port city of Mokpo when it ran aground. The waters are not far from the site of the 2014 Sewol disaster, which claimed more than 300 lives, most of them students on a school excursion.
Read more:
