Abalone 'Cheongboho' in Sinan Waters Less Than a Year Old... Not Subject to Vessel Inspection

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] The Incheon-registered fishing vessel 'Cheongboho,' which capsized off the coast of Sinan, Jeollanam-do, was found to be less than a year old since its construction.

According to Incheon City on the 5th, the 24-ton Cheongboho, a privately owned fishing vessel, was built in March last year and registered as a fishing vessel with Jung-gu Office in Incheon the following month, April.

Since it was recently constructed, it is not yet subject to inspection. According to current law, fishing vessels must undergo intermediate inspections every 2 years and 6 months and regular inspections every 5 years.

The Cheongboho fishing vessel, made of fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP), measures 21.75 meters in length, 5.18 meters in width, and 1.44 meters in depth, with a power rating of 748 horsepower.

This vessel is a nearshore trap fishing boat that uses traps, a tool for catching fish in coastal waters nationwide, capable of capturing various marine products. On the day of the accident, it was catching conchs and had harvested about 700 kg.

Cheongboho capsized at around 11:19 p.m. the previous day, 16.6 km west of Daebichi Island, Imja-myeon, Sinan-gun, Jeollanam-do.

At the time of the accident, there were 12 crew members on board: 9 Koreans, 2 Vietnamese nationals, and 1 Indonesian national. Among them, 3 were rescued, but 9 remain missing.

Investigators estimate that the vessel capsized due to flooding caused by a hole in the engine room, based on testimonies from rescued crew members who first noticed water entering the engine room.

The Incheon-registered fishing vessel 'Cheongboho' is capsized off the coast of Sinan, Jeonnam, 5 days ago. [Photo provided by the Korea Coast Guard]

Meanwhile, following the capsizing of the Incheon-registered fishing vessel Cheongboho, Incheon City activated an accident response headquarters led by the Director of the Marine and Aviation Bureau.

Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok held an emergency situation briefing, stating, "We deeply regret the fishing vessel capsizing accident and hope the crew members are rescued quickly. Since the vessel is registered in Incheon, we will swiftly assess the situation and cooperate to the best of our ability at the city level."

The city plans to send one public official to Sinan-gun Office in Jeollanam-do as an on-site manager to assist with accident response and review additional support measures.