SEOUL, Sept. 14 (UPI) -- A Chinese tour boat with 1,659 passengers has been detained in South Korea due to a dispute between the ship's owners and another company, officials said.
China's National Tourism Agency on Saturday called on the South Korean government to allow the ship, the Henna, to depart from Jeju Island where it is being held in port. Passengers are being given free access to entertainment and the cruise company operating the Henna, HNA Cruise, said the company is preparing to compensate passengers for the delay, China's state-run Xinhua news agency said.
HNA said there's enough supplies to keep the guests fed for the immediate future.
It was unclear exactly what the nature of the dispute over the Henna is, Xinhua said. International shipping norms do not generally allow for a ship to be detained at port due to a commercial dispute.
Chinese officials have called on the South Korean government to allow the Henna to set sail to its intended destination, Incheon, South Korea.
