Stricken ferry in South Korea towed to port as authorities launch probe

A South Korean ferry that had been stranded near a rocky island off Shinan while carrying 267 people is docked at a pier in Mokpo after arriving hours later with all passengers and crew rescued safely, in Mokpo, South Korea, Nov 20, 2025. Yonhap/via REUTE

A South Korean passenger ferry that ran aground was towed to a port on Thursday after all 267 people on board were rescued as authorities launched an investigation into whether there had been a navigational error.

The incident rekindled memories in South Korea of a 2014 ferry sinking that killed more than 300 people, though this time the passengers and crew were successfully rescued after the vessel hit a rocky islet and became stranded late on Wednesday.

No lives were in danger and the vessel was not leaking, according to coast guard officials.

Authorities will examine whether the ship was unable to change course in time in the narrow channels in the area, off the southwestern tip of the Korean peninsula, said Choi Jae-gon, an official from the Mokpo coast guard.

Ships normally steer manually, not using autopilot, in the area of the accident, a narrow sea channel surrounded by small islands near the shore, Choi said.

"Because it is a narrow coastal area, it is a route that requires careful navigation," he said.

The crew members were not intoxicated, officials said.

The 26,546-tonne ferry, which was towed to a nearby port, appeared to have sustained damage to the bottom of the hull, according to video footage and photographs in local media.