Sewol Ferry Special Task Force Indicts Former Coast Guard Chief Kim Seok-gyun and 10 Others Without Detention for 'Rescue Failure'

Im Gwan-hyeok, head of the special investigation team for the Sewol ferry disaster and chief of the Ansan branch of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office, is expressing his determination and stance at the inauguration on the 11th in the small conference room of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] The prosecution has indicted 11 senior officials of the Korea Coast Guard, including Kim Seok-gyun, the then Commissioner of the Korea Coast Guard, for their failure to rescue during the Sewol ferry disaster.

The Special Investigation Unit for the Sewol Ferry Disaster under the Supreme Prosecutors' Office (Head Im Gwan-hyeok, Ansan Branch Chief) announced on the 18th that it has indicted Kim, former Commissioner Kim Su-hyun of the West Sea Regional Coast Guard, former Mokpo Coast Guard Station Chief Kim Moon-hong, former Deputy Commissioner Choi Sang-hwan, former Director of the Coast Guard Security and Safety Bureau Lee Chun-jae, and 11 others without detention. This indictment came 100 days after the special unit was launched on November 11 last year.

Kim and others are charged with professional negligence resulting in death and injury for failing to fulfill their duty to immediately guide evacuation, enter the vessel, and conduct rescue operations when the Sewol ferry disaster occurred on April 16, 2014, causing 303 deaths and 142 injuries.

Former Mokpo Coast Guard Station Chief Kim is also charged with falsifying official documents and abusing authority by fabricating a document falsely stating that he ordered an evacuation broadcast during the accident, despite not having given such an order.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The special unit plans to continue investigating allegations including the failure of the Coast Guard to promptly airlift student Lim Mo, who fell into the water on the day of the Sewol disaster, and the manipulation of the Sewol ferry CCTV's DVR (digital video recorder) footage.

Regarding this, a special unit official explained, "Investigations such as questioning related parties and consulting expert agencies have been conducted on the Lim Mo case and the DVR manipulation allegations, but since it is expected to take considerable time to confirm guilt or innocence, we first indicted those responsible for rescue command."

He added, "Other allegations and filed complaints related to the Sewol disaster will be investigated according to the planned schedule regardless of the general election, and we will do our best to maintain the prosecution to prove the guilt of the involved parties."

The special unit had previously requested arrest warrants on charges including professional negligence resulting in death and injury against Kim and five other Coast Guard officials on the 6th of last month, but the court dismissed the request.