Closed with 20 Indictments... Allegations of External Pressure on Cheongwadae and Ministry of Justice "No Evidence Confirmed"
Im Gwan-hyeok, head of the Sewol Ferry Disaster Special Investigation Unit, is announcing the final investigation results of the Sewol Ferry Disaster Special Investigation Unit on the 19th at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@
[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] The Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of the prosecution handling the Sewol ferry disaster has dismissed most suspicions related to the Sewol ferry disaster that occurred on April 16, 2014. They concluded the investigation by indicting 20 people, including former Coast Guard Commissioner Kim Seokgyun, stating that there was no evidence to confirm allegations that the Blue House and the Ministry of Justice exerted external pressure during the Sewol investigation. However, some cases were reassigned or referred to a special prosecutor.
On the 19th, the Sewol SIU announced the disposition results of cases related to the Sewol ferry disaster at a briefing room in the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. The SIU was established in November 2019 under the direction of Prosecutor General Yoon Seokyeol in response to public demand for reinvestigation of various suspicions.
The SIU began investigating the Coast Guard's responsibility for rescue and confirmed that the Coast Guard leadership violated their duty of care, including evacuation orders, during the rescue process, resulting in the deaths of 303 passengers. They indicted 11 people, including former Coast Guard Commissioner Kim Seokgyun, on charges such as professional negligence resulting in death.
However, regarding allegations of neglect in rescuing Im Kyungbin, the victim had already been in the sea for seven hours at the time of recovery, and Coast Guard logs indicated no response in breathing, pulse, or pupils. Considering this, the SIU judged it highly likely that the victim was already deceased when found. Therefore, there was no evidence that the command knew the victim was alive but used a helicopter while transferring the victim by ship, resulting in a "no charges" disposition.
Regarding allegations that government officials from the Blue House Secretariat and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries obstructed the activities of the Sewol Ferry Disaster Special Investigation Commission (SIC), the SIU confirmed additional obstruction charges, such as withholding the appointment of the head of the Truth Investigation Bureau, and indicted nine people, including former Blue House Chief of Staff Lee Byung-gi, for abuse of power.
However, cases where the Defense Security Command or the National Intelligence Service allegedly surveilled the Sewol victims' families, leading the families to sue former President Park Geunhye and former Chief Presidential Secretary Kim Ki-chun, were dismissed. The SIU confirmed that intelligence agencies prepared situation reports on the families but did not find concrete and realistic violations of rights such as stalking, wiretapping, or hacking. They acknowledged that former President Park and others received reports from the Defense Security Command containing some information on the families but found no evidence that they ordered or received surveillance reports.
Allegations of external pressure on the prosecution investigation by the Ministry of Justice were also dismissed. Earlier, the 4.16 Sewol Ferry Disaster Families' Association accused then-Minister of Justice Hwang Kyo-ahn of pressuring Kim Kyung-il, captain of patrol boat 123, not to apply charges of professional negligence resulting in death. The SIU confirmed that the Ministry of Justice suggested to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office that further review was needed regarding the establishment of professional negligence charges but judged it unlikely to constitute abuse of power.
The SIU also mentioned that allegations involving former Blue House Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs Woo Byung-woo did not reveal Blue House involvement. Other suspicions, such as allegations of external pressure on the Board of Audit and Inspection by the Blue House, were also reviewed but no charges were found.
However, the suspicion that the Sewol ferry DVR containing the situation inside the hull at the time of the disaster was swapped is to be handed over to a special prosecutor to be launched under new legislation, after the SIU investigated naval and Coast Guard personnel and conducted digital forensic investigations. Additionally, the suspicion that the Federation of Korean Industries supported conservative groups holding anti-Sewol rallies will be reassigned to the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, where an investigation is already underway.
Director Im Gwanhyuk stated, "Our investigation unit will do its best to maintain the prosecution so that appropriate sentences are imposed for the indicted cases, and we believe that cases received after the conclusion of the unit's activities will be thoroughly investigated by the competent prosecutors' offices."
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