Cargo Ship Strikes Pier While Entering Busan’s Gamcheon Port

A cargo ship allided with a pier while entering Busan’s Gamcheon Port on December 1, though all ten Indonesian crew members were unharmed and no marine pollution was reported.

The incident took place at about 11:18 a.m. local time, when the vessel’s bulbous bow hit the seawall structure at Pier 3 in Saha-gu.

According to the Busan Coast Guard, the port pilot reported the impact, prompting the dispatch of a coastal rescue vessel. Authorities later confirmed that the ship’s bulbous bow became stuck in a stormwater discharge pipe during the collision.

Inspection teams found a crack measuring roughly 30–50 centimeters on the port side of the bulbous bow. The stormwater pipe’s concrete structure and reinforcing steel also suffered damage.

The Coast Guard conducted an alcohol test on the vessel’s captain, which came back negative.

A Coast Guard spokesperson said early statements from the crew indicate the vessel may have moved forward instead of reversing while attempting to dock on the port side. The exact cause of the allision is now under investigation.