"A Loud Bang, Then the Ship Shook"—267 Aboard as Passenger Ferry Runs Aground in Tense Moments

[Financial News] “There was a loud bang, and then the ship suddenly lurched.”
At approximately 8:17 p.m. on November 19, the 26,000-ton passenger ferry Queen Jenuvia II ran aground near Jokdo Island, Jangsan-myeon, Sinan-gun, Jeollanam-do. The vessel, carrying 246 passengers and 21 crew members—a total of 267 people—became inoperable after its bow was stranded on an uninhabited island.
Passengers on board recalled, “The ship lurched with a loud bang,” and described the tense moments, saying, “The impact was so strong that people fell inside the cabins.”
The exact cause of the accident—whether it occurred on the usual route or due to failure to avoid an obstacle—remains undetermined.
The impact of the grounding caused shelves in the onboard store to topple, scattering goods and resulting in minor injuries. Some passengers complained of pain and were transported to the hospital.
There were no reports of the vessel listing or flooding. The Mokpo Maritime Police Station dispatched a high-speed patrol boat immediately after receiving the report, arriving at the scene in about 11 minutes.
After assessing the situation, the police mobilized all available resources, including 17 patrol vessels, 4 coastal rescue boats, 1 aircraft, and the West Sea Special Rescue Team, to launch a nighttime rescue operation.
Despite the anxiety, passengers remained calm and waited for rescue. Immediately after the accident, they donned life jackets and, following crew instructions, moved in an orderly line to the stern of the ferry.
Rescue operations reportedly prioritized pregnant women, children, and the elderly.
Meanwhile, posts describing the tense situation were shared on online communities and social networking services (SNS).
One passenger wrote on SNS, “After a loud bang, the ship tilted and seemed to rest against a remote island. I quickly grabbed my life jacket, and now I’m on the top deck wearing it.” Other passengers shared updates such as, “We were told to evacuate in order, starting with children and the elderly,” and “I’ll make it back alive.”

All passengers were rescued with no fatalities, according to the police, but 27 people sustained minor injuries and are receiving treatment.

The police plan to conduct a thorough investigation into the exact cause of the accident. Kim Yong-jin, Commissioner General of the Korea Coast Guard (KCG), stated at a briefing on the 20th, “Further investigation is needed into the cause of the grounding, but at present, we suspect negligence by either the captain or the navigator.” Chae Soo Joon, Chief of Mokpo Coast Guard, added that it is rare for a large vessel to collide with an island and that an investigation team is working to determine the cause.






hsg@fnnews.com Han Seung-gon Reporter