Kwinjenubia 2 Crashes Into Uninhabited Island... Prosecution Seeks 5 Years in Prison for Captain

Great Negligence in Failing to Keep a Proper Lookout
Defendants: "We Will Live in Remorse for the Rest of Our Lives"

Kwinjenubia 2 departing from Sinan Jokdo. Photo by Mokpo Maritime Police Station

The prosecution has sought heavy sentences for the captain and crew members who ran a passenger ship aground on an uninhabited island after neglecting to keep a proper lookout, including using their mobile phones while underway.

According to the legal community on the 4th, at the sentencing hearing held under the presidency of Senior Judge Choi Hyeongjun of the Criminal Division 3 Single-Judge Panel at the Mokpo Branch of the Gwangju District Court, the prosecution asked the court to sentence Captain A (65) of the Kwinjenubia 2ho, who was indicted on charges including occupationally negligent destruction of a vessel, to five years in prison.

The prosecution also requested five years in prison for First Mate B (39), who was on duty in charge of navigation at the time of the accident, and three years in prison for C (39), a foreign national who was serving as helmsman.

They were indicted on charges of failing to fulfill their duty of care while navigating waters off Heuksan-myeon, Sinan-gun, South Jeolla Province, on November 19 last year, causing the passenger ship to collide with and run aground on the uninhabited island of Jokdo. As a result of the accident, 47 of the 267 passengers on board were injured and received hospital treatment.

The investigation found that Captain A, who bore overall responsibility, remained in the captain's cabin and did not exercise command, even though the vessel was in a hazardous area where he should have been steering directly, and he failed even to monitor the navigation equipment.

B and C, who were in the wheelhouse, also failed to keep a proper lookout ahead because they were using their mobile phones or chatting, and as a result the passenger ship struck the island at full speed without slowing down.

In their final statements that day, A and the other defendants bowed their heads and fully admitted the charges.

A said, "As the person responsible for the vessel, I failed to fulfill my duty, and I am sorry to the passengers and their families," adding, "I will live the rest of my life in remorse."

The defense counsel pleaded for leniency, stating, "The defendants feel such a heavy sense of responsibility that they have nothing to say for themselves," but also arguing, "They have worked diligently for a long time, they immediately engaged in rescue efforts after the accident, and no passengers suffered serious injuries. Please take these factors into consideration."

The sentencing hearing for them is scheduled to be held at 10:00 a.m. on March 11.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.