Nighttime Passenger Ship Operations Between Incheon and Five West Sea Islands Extended Starting Today

Regulations on nighttime operations for passenger ships traveling between Incheon Port and the five islands in the West Sea, which are located near North Korea, have been relaxed starting today (July 20).

The Incheon Metropolitan Government announced that, effective today, the permitted nighttime operation hours for passenger ships connecting Incheon Port to the five West Sea islands—Baengnyeongdo, Daecheongdo, Socheongdo, Daeyeonpyeongdo, and Soyeonpyeongdo—have been extended to three hours before sunrise and three hours after sunset.

Previously, passenger ships on these routes were restricted to operating only between 30 minutes before sunrise and 30 minutes after sunset due to security concerns and operational safety.

The five West Sea islands are currently the only waters in the country where nighttime passenger ship operations have been prohibited. While nighttime operations were banned nationwide in the 1970s, they were permitted across all other regions following an amendment to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries directive in 2007. However, the five West Sea islands were excluded due to their geographical proximity to North Korea.

The Incheon Regional Office of Oceans and Fisheries has been enforcing the Regulations on Vessel Operations in the Northwest Islands, which were originally operated by the Navy and codified in 1994.

Because of this, for the Incheon-Baengnyeongdo route, which takes four hours by high-speed ship, departures were frequently canceled if morning sailings were delayed due to fog or high waves, even if weather conditions improved later in the day.

An official from the Incheon Metropolitan Government stated, "We expect this to expand the mobility rights of residents and tourists in the Northwest Islands, who have experienced significant inconvenience due to nighttime operation restrictions," adding, "We will cooperate closely with relevant agencies to ensure that nighttime passenger ship operations are established safely."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.