The Seoul Metropolitan Government officially apologized on the 16th over the Han River bus stoppage incident.
In a statement issued under the name of Spokesperson Lee Min-kyung, the city said, "At 8:25 p.m. on the 15th, regarding the situation in which Han River Bus No. 102 on the seventh run bound for Jamsil temporarily stopped 118 meters from Jamsil Pier, we apologize for the inconvenience caused to citizens."
At the time, the Han River bus ran aground in shallow water and stopped. As a result, the fire authorities and the Han River Police Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency were dispatched and rescued about 80 passengers.
The city said, "We responded with passenger safety as the top priority immediately after the incident, and we make it clear that all safety procedures functioned properly in the process."
The city added that immediately after the incident it promptly notified related agencies such as the water rescue team, the Han River Police Unit, and the Han River Headquarters, deployed rescue boats, and safely transported all 82 passengers to Jamsil Pier by 9:18 p.m. that day and sent them home.
It went on to say that no one was injured and that on-site rescue was carried out quickly and systematically according to the manual. It also said that, so far, no external damage or mechanical damage to the vessel has been confirmed.
The city said the cause of the incident is presumed to be a shallower channel depth due to sediment accumulation, but that it would move the vessel at high tide and conduct a detailed inspection.
In particular, the city said, "From the start of Han River bus operations, we have continuously reinforced multiple safety nets, including strengthening vessel safety, upgrading water level monitoring, and improving pier management," adding, "We have immediately disclosed and addressed all accidents and errors, and we have not neglected safety."
It also said, "The Democratic Party of Korea should not exaggerate safety issues of the Han River bus for political offensives and needlessly heighten public anxiety," adding, "With citizens' lives and safety as the top priority, we will use this situation to inspect the operating environment more thoroughly and strengthen facilities, operations, and emergency response systems."
However, Park Jin-Young, head of the Future Han River Headquarters of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, said that day, "The investigation confirmed there was (a deviation from the channel)," adding, "We were thoroughly attentive to the channel, so we did not think there would have been a deviation by the operator." This contradicts the explanation in the previous day's briefing immediately after the incident that "there was no deviation from the channel."
Buoys had been installed near the scene to prevent entry into shallow areas, but the vessel in question is said to have crossed the buoys and entered.
Earlier in the day, the Democratic Party of Korea visited the area near Jamsil Pier over the Han River bus incident and urged Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon to "halt all Han River bus operations that put the lives of Seoul residents at risk."
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok also issued a special directive to the Seoul Metropolitan Government to determine the cause of the incident and review safety measures.