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Coast Guard requests arrest warrants for first mate, helmsman as ferry investigation continues

Published: 21 Nov. 2025, 15:35 Updated: 24 Nov. 2025, 15:05

Officials from the Korean Register, the National Forensic Service and the Mokpo Coast Guard conduct a joint forensic inspection of the hull of the Queen Jenuvia II at Samhak pier in Mokpo, South Jeolla after the ship ran aground off Shinan County, South Jeolla, on Nov. 20. [NEWS1]

The Mokpo Coast Guard has requested arrest warrants for the first mate and a helmsman of a large ferry that ran aground on an uninhabited island off Korea's southwest coast on Wednesday while carrying 267 people.

The warrants for the two Queen Jenuvia II crew members were sought on charges of causing injury through gross negligence, the Coast Guard said on Friday.

Investigators say the two failed to change course or neglected steering duties when the ferry struck Jokdo, a rock islet in Shinan county, South Jeolla, while navigating close to Jangsan Island at 8:17 p.m. on Wednesday.

The first mate told investigators they had been looking at their mobile phone while navigating on autopilot. They said they “searched for news on my phone and could not switch the autopilot to manual mode.”

The narrow channel requires large passenger vessels to switch to manual steering.

The first mate initially said “the course change was late and the rudder did not respond,” but later retracted that statement after the Coast Guard completed an initial inspection and pressed them further.

The Coast Guard said the first mate appeared to recognize the danger only when the ship was about 100 meters (328 feet) from impact.

Investigators are also looking into whether the autopilot destination may have been set incorrectly toward Jokdo.

The helmsman, who was responsible for steering and switching the autopilot to manual mode, told investigators they had been in front of the wheel but insisted “I did nothing wrong.”

The Queen Jenuvia II is docked at Samhak pier in Mokpo, South Jeolla, on Nov. 20. [YONHAP]

Officers arrested both crew members shortly after the accident and seized their mobile phones for forensic analysis. With no surveillance cameras in the wheelhouse, investigators plan to compare digital records with the officers’ statements.

The Coast Guard also plans to charge the ship’s captain with violating the Seafarers Act for leaving the wheelhouse at the time of the accident. The ferry’s route includes four hazardous segments, and captains must personally supervise navigation in the narrow waters near Jokdo. The captain told investigators “I was in the captain’s cabin at the time of the accident.”

Investigators say they have not ruled out structural issues with the vessel, citing the first mate’s initial account, and are continuing inspections.

The Mokpo Coast Guard conducts a rescue operation after the Queen Jenuvia II ran aground near Jokdo, Jangsan-myeon, Shinan County, South Jeolla, at around 8:17 p.m. on Nov. 19. [MOKPO COAST GUARD]

The Queen Jenuvia II departed Jeju for Mokpo, South Jeolla, at 4:45 p.m. on Wednesday. The ferry listed about 15 degrees when half of its hull rode up onto Jokdo. All 267 people on board — 246 passengers and 21 crew — were rescued by the Coast Guard and taken to shore.

Thirty passengers who reported dizziness or pain received hospital treatment but were discharged the next day. There have been no additional injuries.

The ferry's first mate has worked as a first mate since 2023. The helmsman, who is a foreign national, joined the ferry operator late last year in that position.

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.
BY BAE JAE-SUNG [[email protected]]