[Exclusive] Sewol Ferry 'President's 7 Hours' Resurfaces... Proposal to Demand Disclosure Next Week

Representative Ko Young-in of Ansan Danwon Gap leads proposal... Key is People Power Party's participation
Sachamwi "Suspicion of CCTV evidence manipulation"... Request for special prosecutor investigation

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Park Cheol-eung and Jung Dong-hoon] A parliamentary proposal demanding the disclosure of Blue House records from the time of the Sewol ferry disaster, known as the so-called 'President's 7 hours,' until the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye will be submitted next week. Although these records have been sealed for up to 30 years, they can be disclosed if 200 members of the National Assembly support the proposal.

On the 22nd, Go Young-in, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, said in a phone interview with Asia Economy, "119 lawmakers have joined as co-sponsors of the proposal demanding presidential records related to the Sewol ferry disaster, and we plan to officially submit it early next week." He added, "Besides Democratic Party members, lawmakers from the Justice Party, Open Democratic Party, and independents have also participated." He represents the Danwon-gu Gap district in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province.

Go said, "We will hold consultations with the Democratic Party leadership and the party's Sewol Special Committee within this week, and then appeal to the People Power Party for their participation."

The proposal demands access to and copies of documents and their lists produced or received by the Presidential Secretariat, Presidential Security Service, and National Security Office from immediately after the Sewol ferry disaster on April 16, 2014, until former President Park's impeachment, covering the accident, rescue, recovery, and investigation measures.

These records were sealed by then Acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn in 2017 by designating a protection period. However, according to the Presidential Records Management Act, if two-thirds of the total members of the National Assembly, i.e., more than 200 lawmakers, approve, the records can be disclosed. Since lawmakers from the ruling coalition and the Justice Party are involved, about 15 more votes are needed, making the participation of the People Power Party essential.

Park Sung-min, a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party, said at the Supreme Council meeting the day before, "I was a high school senior when the Sewol ferry disaster occurred. Six years have passed since then, but the truth of that day has still not been revealed," and urged, "Will the People Power Party turn a blind eye again? Please actively step forward to ensure a proper investigation."

Meanwhile, the Special Investigation Commission on Social Disasters (SICSD) requested a special prosecutor investigation, citing suspicions that the Navy and Coast Guard manipulated and edited CCTV evidence during the disaster.

At a press conference held at Post Tower in Jung-gu, Seoul, the SICSD announced, "As a result of investigating suspicions of manipulation of Sewol ferry CCTV footage, we confirmed that the CCTV restoration video files submitted to the court at the time of the disaster were manipulated," and stated, "The SICSD will request the National Assembly to appoint a special prosecutor."

The SICSD explained the reason for requesting the appointment of a special prosecutor to the National Assembly, saying, "We requested an investigation by the prosecution last March regarding suspicions of manipulation during the collection process of the DVR, but no investigation has been conducted at all," and "We also provided related materials to the prosecution's special task force established last November, but no significant progress in the investigation has been identified so far."

The SICSD believes that the Navy deliberately delayed the collection of the DVR device, which acts as the ship's 'black box,' and manipulated the stored data. Moon Ho-seung, a standing member of the SICSD's Sewol Truth Investigation Subcommittee, said, "There were 64 CCTVs installed inside the Sewol ferry, and if the DVR, the video storage device, had been collected, the cause of the accident could have been easily identified," and added, "The Coast Guard officially collected the CCTV DVR only two months after the disaster, even though it is basic evidence for investigating ship accidents," arguing that the delayed collection of the DVR device was intentional.