Passenger Ferry Deviates from Route, Revealing Lack of Traffic Control
Operational Manuals and Equipment Systems Must Be Reviewed
Lee Gaeho
Regarding the grounding accident involving the Jeju-Mokpo passenger ferry "Queen Zenobia 2," which collided with an uninhabited island on the evening of November 19, Lee Gaeho, a National Assembly member from the Democratic Party of Korea, stated on November 20, "It is fortunate that all 267 people were rescued, but since both a deviation from the route and a lack of traffic control occurred simultaneously, the entire maritime safety system must be thoroughly reviewed."
At the time of the accident, the ferry struck the uninhabited island with a loud crash, causing significant shock, and all 267 people on board (246 passengers and 21 crew members) reportedly experienced extreme anxiety. With memories of the Sewol ferry disaster still lingering, residents of South Jeolla Province and people across the country were deeply distressed by the news.
Lee pointed out, "It is hard to understand how a passenger ferry carrying hundreds of people could deviate from its designated route without either the navigator or the Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) noticing. We must thoroughly determine why the route deviation was not detected and what actions were being taken up to the moment of the collision."
He added, "In the case of the Sewol ferry, a change of course was cited as a cause of the accident, and now a delayed course correction is being mentioned again. The government and local authorities must immediately conduct a joint inspection to verify compliance with operational manuals, the proper functioning of navigation equipment and systems, and the appropriateness of the initial response."
Lee urged, "We must break the vicious cycle of repeating countermeasures after every accident. The entire safety management system must be fundamentally re-examined to prevent another man-made disaster from ever occurring again."
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