List of 17 Candidates Rejected by Sewol Ferry Bereaved Families Includes Hwang Kyo-ahn and Shim Jae-cheol

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] As controversial remarks about the Sewol ferry disaster by Cha Myung-jin, a candidate from the United Future Party, have surfaced, attention is also drawn to the list of candidates deemed unfit for election by the families of the Sewol victims on the 1st of this month. Besides candidate Cha, the list includes a total of 17 people, mostly from the United Future Party, such as Hwang Kyo-ahn, the party leader, and Shim Jae-cheol, the floor leader. It also includes independent candidate Lee Jung-hyun, Jo Won-jin from the Uri Party, proportional representation candidate Joo Ok-soon from the Christian Liberty Unification Party, and proportional representation candidate Hong Moon-jong from the Pro-Park New Party.

The list was selected by the 4.16 Sewol Ferry Disaster Families' Association and the 4.16 Solidarity. Candidates from the United Future Party include Kim Yong-nam, Kim Jin-tae, Kim Tae-heum, Min Kyung-wook, Bae Jun-young, Shim Jae-cheol, Ahn Sang-soo, Jung Yoo-seop, Jung Jin-suk, Joo Ho-young, Cha Myung-jin, Ha Tae-kyung, and Hwang Kyo-ahn.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The association stated, "To achieve an unflinching investigation, punishment of those responsible, and a safe society where all lives and citizens are respected, the National Assembly, as the representative institution of the people, must first clear past mistakes and be reborn anew," adding, "We lament the reality that political parties and candidates are unable to reform themselves."

The selection criteria include responsibility for causing the Sewol ferry sinking, neglect of rescue and salvage duties, obstruction of investigations and inquiries, responsibility for surveillance of victims' families, involvement in distorting the truth or insulting victims, among others.

Regarding party leader Hwang Kyo-ahn, the reason cited was "obstruction of investigation and inquiry into the Sewol ferry disaster and concealment of the truth." The association claimed, "While serving as Minister of Justice, he exerted external pressure on the prosecution team investigating the captain of the 123 vessel, hindering fact-finding and investigation. As Prime Minister, he decided on the early illegal dissolution of the Sewol Special Investigation Committee. On the day of the Sewol disaster, he decided to keep President Park Geun-hye’s records classified."

For Shim Jae-cheol, floor leader of the United Future Party, the reasons given were "obstruction of investigation and inquiry into the Sewol ferry disaster, concealment and distortion of the truth, and insult and defamation of victims." He was held responsible for the suspension of the national investigation into the Sewol sinking in 2014, which was halted due to issues such as witness selection after agency reports, as the chairman of the special committee on the national investigation. The association also pointed out, "During his tenure as chairman of the special committee, he spread false information about the Sewol families circulating on KakaoTalk."