CLOSED WATERWAY TO REOPEN

[Anchor Lead]

The waterway between Incheon and Jeju had been closed since the Sewol ferry sank seven years ago. But it's to reopen on Friday. The new route will go around the site of the disaster to ensure safety even if it takes longer.

[Pkg]

A large ship at Incheon Port. It can carry some 800 passengers and 400 cars. From Friday this vessel will operate between Incheon and Jeju three times a week. The waterway will reopen for the first time since the Sewol ferry disaster seven years ago.

[Soundbite] Hong Jong-wook(Incheon  Regional Office of Oceans and Fisheries) : "Our priority is safety. We will make sure to conduct safety inspections and train crew members to operate the ship with utmost safety precautions."

The waterway passing through Maenggol Channel in Jeollanam-do Province, where the ferry sank, was a shortcut. But it's known for strong water currents. The new ship will go around the channel to ensure safety even though it takes 20 minutes longer.

[Soundbite] Ko Kyung-nam(Captain) : "This ship will navigate around the Maenggol Channel using a traffic separation scheme."

One of the reasons the Sewol ferry capsized was it being overloaded, which caused the ship to lose its balance. The weight of freight loaded onto the new vessel is calculated by location in real time to notify if the ship can safely restore balance when it tilts.

[Soundbite] Hwang Seung-joo(Korea Shipping Association) : "This system allows monitoring of the situation on the ship in real time and notifying the crew of changes immediately when necessary."

Seven years after the Sewol ferry disaster, the most important lesson learned is that safety must never be compromised.