Ferry Drops Off Passenger at Non-Stopover Port After Wrong Boarding Complaint

It was belatedly revealed that a shipping company allowed a passenger to board a ferry without properly checking their ticket, and then let them off at a non-stopover port following protests.

According to the Incheon Regional Office of Oceans and Fisheries and other sources on the 22nd, a passenger, A, boarded the ferry Ship B along with their vehicle on an island in Ongjin-gun, Incheon, on the afternoon of August 12.

Having boarded the ferry without a ticket check, passenger A later learned they had boarded the wrong vessel during a ticket verification process by the shipping company.

Passenger A strongly protested to the shipping company, demanding to be dropped off at a nearby island, and the captain of Ship B had passenger A disembark at a nearby island that was not a scheduled stopover.

Under the Marine Transportation Act, passenger transport service operators must operate ferries according to their business plans, except in unavoidable circumstances such as natural disasters, worsening weather, or emergency inspections.

The captain of Ship B reportedly made this decision, without reporting to the shipping company, by taking into consideration the safety of other passengers and tidal times.

At the time, about 30 passengers were on board Ship B, but it was confirmed that the voyage was completed safely without any safety accidents.

After recognizing the violation of the Marine Transportation Act based on operation tracks and other data, the Incheon Regional Office of Oceans and Fisheries plans to conduct a hearing procedure against the shipping company and impose a penalty surcharge.

A fine of 2.5 million won was imposed for the failure to conduct ticket checks prior to boarding.

An official from the Incheon Regional Office of Oceans and Fisheries said, "Although there was no intent on the part of the shipping company, such as for profit-making purposes, it is a fact that the Marine Transportation Act was violated," adding, "We are proceeding with procedures in accordance with relevant laws."

The shipping company acknowledged the violation and stated that it would prepare measures to prevent recurrence.

A shipping company official said, "At the time, the captain asked for the passengers' understanding and completed the voyage safely without complaints, but it was clearly our fault," adding, "We will pay close attention to training captains and crew members so that this kind of incident never happens again."
 
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.