Number of ferry passengers from Incheon to China falls by 70% due to economic downturn and tougher crackdown on smuggling: South Korean report

According to the Incheon Port Authority (IPA), the number of passengers using car ferries (regular ships) operating between Incheon and six cities in China, including Qingdao, Weihai, and Seodae, was 18,555 (provisional figure) in June.
The number of passengers using car ferries between the two countries, which were suspended due to the COVID-19 virus, has dropped by 2,020 since they resumed operations in August 2023.
The number of passengers had continued to increase until the January-March quarter of 2012. The shipping industry has attributed the decline in passenger numbers in June to a decline in group tourists due to the economic downturn and the strengthening of crackdowns on smuggling by South Korean customs authorities.
"The once bustling ferry terminal has become deserted again in just a few months," said a shipping company official.
The drop in car ferry passenger numbers has also hampered plans to restart additional trips.
Of the 10 routes that previously ran between South Korea and China, four routes in China - Yingkou, Qinhuangdao, Tianjin, and Dandong - still have no prospect of resuming operations.
An official from the Korea-China Car Ferry Association said, "The number of Chinese group tourists is expected to continue to decline until August. In addition to the decline in passengers, freight rates are also declining.
"Even freight rates have fallen, creating a double whammy for shipping companies."