In the early hours of May 26, 2025, a 22-ton fishing vessel collided with a 44,000-ton cargo ship approximately 11 kilometers southeast of Eocheong Island, near Gunsan, South Korea. The incident occurred around 4:56 a.m. local time, resulting in the fishing boat’s bow becoming deeply embedded into the portside bow of the cargo ship.
The fishing boat had departed from Daecheon Port in Boryeong earlier that morning for crab fishing. All six crew members aboard the fishing vessel and the 19 crew members on the cargo ship were reported safe, with no injuries sustained. The South Korean Coast Guard responded promptly, separating the two vessels and escorting them back to port for inspection and further investigation.
Preliminary findings indicate that the collision was due to improper activation of the fishing boat’s autopilot system. This marks the fourth such incident in the past six months in the busy waters near Gunsan, prompting the Coast Guard to issue warnings to local vessels about the risks associated with autopilot misuse.
