GLOBAL - All 267 passengers and crew were safely rescued after a major South Korean passenger ferry, the Queen Jenuvia 2, ran aground on Wednesday night, an incident now being investigated as a case of human error. The Mokpo Coast Guard has arrested the chief mate and a helmsman on suspicion of professional negligence after preliminary findings suggested the navigator was distracted by a mobile phone and failed to make a crucial course correction in a narrow channel.

The 26,546-ton vessel struck an uninhabited islet near Jangsan Island in Sinan County at approximately 8:17 PM Korea Standard Time (2:17 PM EAT) on Wednesday, November 19, 2025. The ferry, carrying 246 passengers and 21 crew, was en route from the resort island of Jeju to the port city of Mokpo. A swift and large-scale rescue operation involving Coast Guard patrol boats was launched, and all passengers were evacuated within about three hours of the incident. While there were no serious injuries, 27 people were taken to local hospitals for minor issues like pain and anxiety.

Investigation Points to Navigational Negligence

The focus of the investigation has quickly turned to the actions of the bridge crew. According to the Mokpo Coast Guard, the chief mate, who was on duty, admitted to looking at news on his phone and missed the point where the vessel needed to switch from autopilot to manual steering to navigate the narrow and dangerous channel. The ferry continued on autopilot at a speed of 22 knots (about 40 kph), sailing past the required turning point and striking the islet of Jokdo. The captain was reportedly not on the bridge at the time of the accident. Authorities have detained the chief mate and the helmsman, an Indonesian national, on charges of gross negligence resulting in injury.

The vessel sustained a breach in its bow but did not take on water, and there was no environmental pollution reported. After being stranded for over nine hours, the Queen Jenuvia 2 was refloated by tugboats and sailed to Mokpo under its own power, arriving early Thursday morning, November 20, 2025.

Echoes of a National Trauma and Implications for Maritime Safety

This incident has inevitably drawn comparisons to the tragic sinking of the MV Sewol in April 2014, which occurred near the same area and resulted in the deaths of over 300 people, mostly high school students. That disaster, one of South Korea's worst, was attributed to a combination of human error, illegal modifications to the vessel, and a failed rescue effort, leading to a national outcry and significant changes to maritime safety regulations. The swift and successful rescue operation for the Queen Jenuvia 2 stands in stark contrast and highlights the procedural improvements made since the Sewol tragedy.

For Kenya and the broader East African region, which rely heavily on maritime trade through the Indian Ocean, this event serves as a critical reminder of the paramount importance of stringent crew discipline, adherence to navigational protocols, and robust emergency response systems. While geographically distant, the grounding of a modern, large-scale ferry due to suspected negligence underscores universal vulnerabilities in maritime operations. The reliance on technology like autopilot must be balanced with vigilant human oversight, particularly in challenging waters. The outcome of the South Korean investigation will be closely watched by maritime authorities globally, offering potential lessons for crew training, bridge management, and the enforcement of safety standards to prevent similar incidents along Africa's vital shipping corridors.