MOKPO, South Jeolla. South Korea’s Coast Guard has asked a court to issue an arrest warrant for the master of the ferry Queen Jenuvia II, saying he left the bridge in a narrow channel shortly before the ship struck an island off Shinan County and injured passengers.
Prosecutors suspect the captain of occupational negligence resulting in injury and of breaching his duty under the Seafarers Act to supervise navigation in confined waters. The first officer and an Indonesian helmsman are already under arrest on gross negligence charges. The Jeju-Mokpo ferry was transiting a channel near Jokdo on 19 November when it veered off its planned track. Investigators say the vessel stayed on autopilot, where company procedures called for manual steering, and struck a rocky islet at about 8:16 p.m.
All 267 people were evacuated. About 30 passengers reported minor injuries and were sent to the hospital, while the ship was later refloated and towed to Mokpo. A joint survey with the Korean Register and National Forensic Service found no structural or mechanical defects, pointing investigators toward human error as the primary cause.
Why investigators are targeting the captain
According to Coast Guard statements and Korean news coverage, the captain left the wheelhouse to rest in a cabin just aft of the bridge as the ferry entered the narrowest part of the channel, leaving the watch to the first officer and helmsman. Under Korea’s Seafarers Act, the master is expected to be on the bridge in port approaches and confined waters.
Voyage-data-recorder and phone records indicate that the first officer was browsing news on his mobile phone. At the same time, the ferry closed on the turning point and only noticed the deviation seconds before impact, ordering a hard-over rudder command that came too late. By the time the captain returned to the bridge, the hull had already made contact, a chain of events that supports the view that he failed in a non-delegable duty to configure and supervise a safe bridge team.
The case is being examined under Article 268 of Korea’s Criminal Act, which covers death or injury caused by occupational or gross negligence and allows penalties of up to five years’ imprisonment or a 20 million won fine, according to the Korea Legislation Research Institute. The captain also faces potential charges under the Seafarers Act for failing to maintain safe navigation and command presence. Beyond any criminal sentence, the incident will be reviewed by a marine accident tribunal under the Act on the Investigation of and Inquiry into Marine Accidents. Those tribunals can discipline licensed officers, including suspending or revoking certificates.
Post-Sewol expectations of accountability
The investigation is unfolding in a country still shaped by the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster, in which more than 300 people died and the captain was ultimately given a life sentence for abandoning passengers and failing to direct the evacuation, as reported by The Guardian. Since Sewol, South Korea has tightened maritime safety statutes and stressed that masters retain ultimate responsibility for passenger safety in emergencies and in high-risk waters.
Although there were no fatalities in the Queen Jenuvia II grounding, the presence of injured passengers and an avoidable loss of control mean prosecutors are under pressure to show that command failures on ferries will not be treated lightly. The ruling on the captain’s arrest warrant will be watched as a measure of how rigorously Korea now enforces accountability in its coastal ferry trade.
As Editor in Chief of The Maritime, I lead content development, interviews, and digital storytelling across our multimedia maritime platform. With over 10 years of experience in the maritime industry, I create and publish in-depth stories and video features that highlight key players, emerging trends, and operational realities across global shipping. Before launching The Maritime, I worked as a Vessel Operator at Imza Marine A.S., gaining hands-on commercial shipping and voyage operations experience. I also served as Marketing Communications Specialist at Gimas Ship Supply & Services, where I managed corporate communication, digital strategy, and industry outreach for shipowners and maritime clients. I hold a Master’s degree in Maritime Transportation Management from Istanbul Technical University and a Master’s degree in Publishing from Marmara University. My work is driven by the belief that the maritime world deserves strong, informed, and accessible media representation. I am committed to sharing the stories of maritime professionals and contributing to the sector’s visibility, knowledge exchange, and future development.
