People Power Party Attends Government-Hosted 'Sewol Ferry Disaster' Memorial Ceremony for the First Time in 5 Years

Recommendation for Special Prosecutor Committee Member on Evidence Tampering in the Sewol Ferry Incident

On the 22nd, officials from the 4.16 Solidarity held a press conference to announce the month of remembrance and promise for the 7th anniversary of the Sewol Ferry disaster in front of the Blue House Fountain in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-joo] The leadership of the People Power Party will attend the government-hosted 'Sewol Ferry Disaster' memorial ceremony for the first time in five years.

According to the People Power Party on the 13th, the floor leadership plans to attend the '7th Anniversary Memorial Ceremony of the Sewol Ferry Disaster' to be held on the 16th at Hwarang Amusement Park in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province.

This will be the first time in five years that the People Power Party leadership attends a memorial ceremony hosted by the government, including the 4·16 Sewol Ferry Disaster Families Association, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and the Ministry of Education. In 2016, at the 2nd anniversary event, then Saenuri Party Emergency Committee Chairman and floor leader Won Yoo-chul attended. In 2017, Hong Joon-pyo, the Liberty Korea Party presidential candidate, criticized the event by saying, "The political circle has milked the Sewol Ferry disaster for three years," and did not attend the 3rd anniversary memorial ceremony.

At the 5th anniversary memorial ceremony in 2019, leaders of four ruling and opposition parties except the Liberty Korea Party attended. Instead, then party leader Hwang Kyo-ahn attended the '5th Anniversary Memorial for Ordinary Victims of the Sewol Ferry Disaster' held at Incheon Family Park.

Meanwhile, regarding the suspicion of 'evidence fabrication and editing' related to the Sewol Ferry disaster case, the People Power Party recommended attorney Koo Choong-seo, CEO of J&C Law Firm, and Professor Han Seok-hoon of Sungkyunkwan University Law School as members of the special prosecutor candidate recommendation committee. Attorney Koo served as chief judge at Gwangju District Court and Suwon District Court. Professor Han served as chief prosecutor at Gwangju High Prosecutors' Office.

Earlier, on December 10 last year, the National Assembly passed the 'Request for Appointment of Special Prosecutor for the Sewol Ferry Disaster Truth Investigation' in a plenary session. According to the Standing Special Prosecutor Act, the special prosecutor can officially begin once the Speaker of the National Assembly forms a special prosecutor candidate recommendation committee composed of four external experts recommended by the National Assembly.