MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chinese luxury cruise vessel pays bond and is released after four days

The 47.000 ton Henna sails around the Korean peninsula

A Chinese luxury cruise ship impounded in South Korea for days due to a legal dispute has been released and returned to China, an official said Tuesday.

The 47.000-tonne cruise liner Henna -- that was carrying 1,600 passengers -- had been held at South Korea's southern resort island of Jeju since arriving on Friday.

It had been scheduled to return to China after sailing around the Korean peninsula.

But a Jeju court banned the ship from leaving after a seizure request was made by Hong Kong-based Shagang Shipping, citing an apparent debt default.

The Beijing-based operator of the ship, HNA Cruise, paid a bond of 3 billion won (2.7 million dollars) to the court, which then released the ship on Monday, a South Korean HNA agent said.

A large number of passengers had already returned to China on special chartered flights organized by HNA.

About 2.8 million Chinese visited South Korea in 2012, more than a quarter of the total 11 million foreign tourist arrival.