The captain and crew of a passenger ferry that collided with an uninhabited island, injuring 47 passengers, have received suspended prison sentences for their negligence.
On November 19, a passenger ferry named Queen Zenobia 2, headed for Mokpo, collided with an uninhabited island called Jokdo, injuring 47 out of 267 passengers aboard. The incident occurred due to the captain's failure to follow legal obligations to remain in the wheelhouse while navigating through a narrow waterway. Instead, the 65-year-old captain was found to have stayed in his office instead of controlling the ferry’s navigation, directly contributing to the accident. Meanwhile, the chief mate, who was responsible for manual navigation at the time, was searching for news on his phone and failed to switch the ferry's autopilot system back to manual mode when necessary.
The court, presided over by Judge Choi Hyung-jun, sentenced the captain to a two-year and six-month prison term, suspended for three years, while the chief mate received the same suspended sentence and a foreign helmsman was sentenced to one year and six months with a two-year suspension. The judge emphasized that the defendants displayed serious negligence in their duty to maintain proper lookout, which directly resulted in injuries to numerous passengers. However, their contrition and taking measures to ensure passengers' safety post-accident were taken into account in determining the sentence's severity.
The accident raised significant concerns about maritime safety protocols and the responsibilities of crew members aboard passenger ferries, especially as it occurred in a narrow strait known for its treacherous conditions with many islands and reefs. This case not only highlights the need for strict adherence to legal navigation duties but also calls for stricter oversight and training for crew members to prevent future tragedies in South Korea’s busy maritime transportation sector.
