Court Orders Yoo Byung-eun's Three Children to Pay 170 Billion Won for Sewol Ferry Recovery Costs

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] A court ruling has determined that the family of the late Yoo Byung-eon, former chairman of the Semo Group, must bear 70% of the costs incurred by the state during the Sewol ferry disaster recovery process.

The Seoul Central District Court Civil Division 22 (Presiding Judge Dong-yeon Lee) on the 17th partially ruled in favor of the plaintiff in the subrogation claim lawsuit filed by the state against Yoo’s family and others. The court found that former chairman Yoo and Cheonghaejin Marine Company had long overloaded cargo or improperly secured it, and failed to fulfill their obligations for rescue and relief after the accident, holding them responsible for the Sewol ferry disaster. The court assigned 70% of the accident responsibility to Cheonghaejin Marine and Yoo Byung-eon, 25% to the state, and the remaining 5% to the company responsible for cargo securing. Of the total subrogation amount of 372.3 billion KRW recognized by the court, 70%, or 260.6 billion KRW, is to be borne by Cheonghaejin Marine and Yoo.

However, the court deducted 116.5 billion KRW, which had already been partially repaid by Yoo’s heirs?siblings Yoo Seom-na, Sang-na, and Hyuk-gi?and set the final amount to be borne at 170 billion KRW. The court stated, "Since former chairman Yoo has passed away, his heirs Yoo Seom-na, Sang-na, and Hyuk-gi must each bear one-third of the subrogation amount." Yoo’s eldest daughter Seom-na is responsible for approximately 57.1 billion KRW, second daughter Sang-na for about 57.2 billion KRW, and second son Hyuk-gi for around 55.7 billion KRW. The claim against eldest son Yoo Dae-gyun was dismissed as he lawfully renounced inheritance.

During the recovery process of the Sewol ferry incident, the state, which spent over 500 billion KRW in compensation and other costs under the Sewol Special Act, filed a lawsuit to claim costs from Cheonghaejin Marine and Yoo Byung-eon, who were held responsible for the accident.