On the 29th, the Lunar New Year, passenger ship operations on 11 out of 14 routes connecting Incheon and the islands were suspended due to worsening weather in the Yellow Sea.
According to the Incheon Operation Center of the Korea Maritime Traffic Safety Authority, strong winds of 9 to 16 m/s and waves of 2 to 4 m are occurring in the distant waters off Incheon, where a sea warning was issued the previous day (28th) afternoon.
As a result, operations of 12 passenger ships on 11 routes between Incheon and Baengnyeongdo, as well as between Incheon and Yeonpyeongdo, were fully suspended. Four passenger ships on three routes, including from Ganghwa-do Seonsu to Jumun, from Ganghwa-do Hari to Seogeom, and from Yeongjongdo Jangbong to Sammok, were operating normally as of 7:50 a.m. today.
With passenger ship operations suspended on most routes, delays for travelers returning home or going to their destination are inevitable. The Incheon Regional Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Office estimated that 4,500 passengers would use Incheon ferries today, the day of the Lunar New Year, and 3,500 on the last day of the holiday on the 30th.
An official at the Incheon Operation Management Center noted, "Due to the sea warning still in effect today, operations of Incheon ferry routes are mostly suspended," and advised that "ferry passengers to Ganghwa-do and Yeongjongdo should confirm the operation status with the ferry company before coming to the dock."