As reported by local authorities, the captain of the passenger ship Queen Jenuvia 2 is under scrutiny for gross negligence after a recent Coast Guard investigation revealed alarming details about his navigation practices. The inquiry found that he had not been present on the bridge during over 1,000 transits through a perilous channel, including during a grounding incident last week that resulted in numerous injuries.
The vessel was carrying 267 passengers when it ran aground near Jokdo, an uninhabited island off Jangseondo in Shinan County, South Jeolla Province. This incident occurred around 8:17 p.m. on November 19 and left at least 78 individuals injured and requiring medical attention.
The Mokpo Coast Guard reported that the captain, who is in his sixties, had not taken command on the bridge since February of last year while navigating this hazardous area. On the day of the accident, he was only seen on deck during departure from Jeju at approximately 4:45 p.m., returning to his cabin before the collision occurred.
During questioning by officials, he claimed to have been monitoring navigation from his cabin using a system similar to what is available on the bridge but cited health issues as a reason for not being able to oversee operations effectively that evening.
The Coast Guard has sought a detention warrant against him for charges related to gross negligence leading to injury and violations of maritime regulations mandating direct oversight during critical navigational phases such as departures and traversing narrow channels.
At the time of grounding, both the first officer and an Indonesian helmsman were managing operations but relied heavily on automated navigation systems instead of manual steering. Investigators noted that distractions played a role; specifically, they found that mobile phone use contributed significantly to their failure to alter course promptly.
A simulation conducted by Mokpo National Maritime University indicated that proper protocol would have required initiating turns at least 500 meters prior to reaching Jokdo-a directive issued only seconds before impact by the first officer.
The investigation also extends its focus towards actions taken by personnel at Mokpo Vessel Traffic Service (VTS). It was discovered that an alarm designed to alert operators when vessels deviate from their designated paths had been disabled prior to this incident. The VTS controller stated he did not deactivate this alarm personally but mentioned frequent false alerts caused management difficulties due to small fishing boats operating outside fixed routes.
This controller was overseeing multiple vessels at once when Queen Jenuvia 2 deviated from its path without immediate detection until after reporting its collision with land. He may face charges related to professional negligence resulting in injury as well.
In totality, seven crew members are being interviewed as part of ongoing investigations into accountability among ship officers and shore-based monitoring teams regarding this serious maritime event occurring within treacherous waters where direct supervision is legally mandated for captains navigating through such areas.
