Namdang Port Passenger Ferry Terminal in Hongseong Left Unused and Neglected for Over Three Years After Completion

After Completion in November 2022, Sediment Buildup Blocks Access for Ferries and Fishing Boats
County: "Unable to Complete Dredging Due to Risk of Pier Collapse"
Daesan Regional Office of Oceans and Fisheries: "Plan to Proceed After Comprehensive Assessment of Port Facilities"

The passenger ferry terminal at Namdang Port in Seobu-myeon, Hongseong County, has been left unused and abandoned for over three years since its completion.

The Namdang Port passenger ferry terminal, built in Namdang-ri, Seobu-myeon, Hongseong County, Chungnam Province, has been left unused for over three years since its completion, causing significant inconvenience for tourists and residents.

The Namdang Port passenger ferry terminal construction project was initiated at the request of Hongseong County and carried out by the Daesan Regional Office of Oceans and Fisheries, which invested 2.1 billion won. Construction began in October 2021 and, after about a year, was completed in November 2022.

However, nearly three years after completion, ferry access has not been permitted, the transfer of the facility to Hongseong County has been delayed, and the terminal remains unmanaged and abandoned.

At Namdang Port, a ferry connecting to Jukdo Island?the only inhabited island in Hongseong County and a popular tourist destination in recent years?has been operating five times a day since May 2018. However, because the ferry cannot reach the terminal, the passenger ferry terminal has become effectively useless.

As a result, tourists visiting Jukdo Island and island residents are forced to travel more than one kilometer to the outer breakwater to board the ferry, causing considerable inconvenience.

This situation has arisen because sediment has accumulated along the sea route leading into the inner harbor of Namdang Port, where the passenger ferry terminal is located, resulting in shallow water that prevents ferry access.

Since being designated a national fishing port in 1999, Namdang Port has seen continuous sediment buildup in the inner harbor following the construction of a 1,010-meter-long western breakwater. As a result, not only the ferry to Jukdo Island but also local fishing boats are unable to enter the harbor.

In response, Hongseong County repeatedly petitioned the Daesan Regional Office of Oceans and Fisheries and, in September 2022, announced it had secured 6 billion won in national funding to complete an emergency dredging project in the shallow areas of the inner harbor at Namdang Port. The county also launched a major publicity campaign regarding this initiative.

Kim, a resident of Namdang-ri, expressed frustration, saying, "I can't understand whether Hongseong County or the Daesan Regional Office of Oceans and Fisheries were completely unaware of the situation when they built the passenger ferry terminal, or if they went ahead with it despite knowing. It's just incomprehensible and frustrating."

Another resident, Lee, pointed out, "Even a private individual would review a project of this scale from various angles before proceeding. I can't understand how a public institution like the county or the Daesan office could have allowed this to happen."

An official from the county stated, "We aimed to ensure stable ferry and fishing boat access by completing the emergency dredging project by the end of 2022 in line with the terminal's completion. However, during the dredging process, an assessment found a high risk of collapse at the existing Namdang Port pier, so we were unable to finish the work. Since the Daesan Regional Office of Oceans and Fisheries is currently conducting feasibility studies and research, we expect the issue to be resolved before the end of 2027."

A representative from the Daesan Regional Office of Oceans and Fisheries said, "We plan to proceed after a comprehensive assessment and review of all port facilities around the terminal. However, securing the project budget and moving forward will likely not be possible within one or two years, so it will take some time."