The cruise ship stoppage that occurred on the Han River in Seoul on May 28 was caused by the operator's lax safety management and the navigator's failure to exercise duty of care, an investigation has confirmed. Seoul Metropolitan Government's probe concluded the incident was a "man-made accident" — the vessel strayed from its normal route and ran aground in a shallow section of the riverbed.
The city released its investigation findings on Friday. To determine the cause, investigators conducted on-site inspections, interviews with company officials and document reviews from May 30 to June 3. The investigation found that the cruise ship "Love Cruise" had a relatively deep draft of 2.2 meters, requiring extra caution regarding water depth and tidal conditions. However, the vessel deviated from its normal sailing and turning route between Dongjak Bridge (upstream) and Banpo Bridge, causing the accident.
Reporting after the accident was also inadequate. The cruise operator failed to immediately report the incident to the 119 Marine Rescue Team, the Han River Police Unit and Seoul's Future Han River Headquarters, delaying the initial emergency response.
Seoul city decided to impose a fine of 1 million won on the operator for failing to report the accident, under Article 29 of the Excursion Boat Business Act. The city also plans to issue a one-month business suspension for the vessel under Article 9 of the same law, concluding that the safety accident resulted from neglect of duty of care.
The city also announced measures to prevent recurrence. It will require the operator to submit a safe navigation plan and issue a business improvement order mandating fixed cruise routes on the Han River and compulsory water depth monitoring. Additionally, the city will strengthen inspections and safety training for all excursion and ferry boats on the Han River and is reviewing the establishment of "Han River Navigation Rules" tailored to the river's specific conditions, separate from the current Excursion Boat Business Act enforcement decree.
"With the recent increase in vessel traffic on the Han River, waterway safety management is becoming ever more important," said Park Jin-young, head of Seoul's Future Han River Headquarters. "We will take this accident as a cautionary lesson and do our best to enhance the safety of excursion and ferry boats on the Han River."