Ferry runs aground in South Korea after helmsman uses phone

November 20, 2025 / 9:30 AM

Sharjah24-AFP: A South Korean ferry ran aground on Wednesday night after the helmsman was distracted by his mobile phone, according to a Korea Coast Guard official. The vessel, carrying 267 passengers and crew, struck an uninhabited island off the country’s south-western coast while travelling from Jeju Island to the port city of Mokpo. All passengers were safely evacuated to a nearby port.

A preliminary investigation revealed that the officer steering the ship was looking at his phone and allowed the autopilot system to take over in an area requiring manual navigation. The vessel failed to adjust its course in time and veered into the island. The Coast Guard said criminal charges will be filed, citing “clear negligence”.

Rescue efforts and minor injuries have been reported.

According to the Ministry of Safety, 246 passengers were transferred to a nearby harbour on rescue vessels, while 21 crew members remained on the ferry until it was towed to Mokpo at around 5:44 am. Twenty-seven passengers were taken to the hospital with minor injuries such as headaches and back pain. Images released by local media showed the ferry’s bow pressed against the island’s shoreline and passengers waiting for rescue in life vests.

Authorities vow transparency as investigation continues

Coast Guard Commissioner Kim Yong-jin stated early assessments suggested crew errors contributed to the accident. President Lee Jae Myung ordered prompt rescue operations and instructed authorities to keep the public informed in real time.

Echoes of the Sewol ferry tragedy

The incident occurred a decade after the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster, which caused 304 deaths—most of them schoolchildren—in South Korea’s worst maritime tragedy. The wreck of the Sewol was later transported to Mokpo nearly three years after the disaster.