Human Rights Commissioner: "On the 10th Anniversary of Sewol, Government and National Assembly Must Unite to Prevent Recurrence of the Disaster"

Song Doo-hwan, Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, urged on the 10th anniversary of the April 16 Sewol ferry disaster, "I ask the government and the National Assembly to unite their strength and wisdom to ensure that no more social disasters or tragedies are repeated."

Song Doo-hwan, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea. [Photo by Yonhap News]

In a statement released on the 16th, Chairman Song said, "The Sewol ferry disaster was a tragic event that plunged the entire nation into grief and shock, and at the same time, it was a social disaster that expressed the public's strong desire for a safe society," adding, "As we mark the 10th anniversary, it is necessary to reflect on what and how much has changed to prevent such a tragedy from happening again."

He continued, "Regarding victim support, which was once seen as a charitable measure after the disaster, a consensus has now been formed that it is a 'natural right of the victims,'" and added, "Victims have united to support each other, and the maturity of civic consciousness that defends and supports them is, above all, hopeful."

However, he expressed regret that despite the establishment of a special investigative body to uncover the truth of the Sewol ferry disaster, the causes of the many deaths during the sinking and rescue process have not been identified.

Chairman Song said, "Regarding the responsibility for the failure to rescue passengers, all members of the Coast Guard leadership except the captain of the on-site rescue boat were acquitted," and added, "Despite multiple investigations, serious reflection is needed on whether we have failed to reach the truth of the Sewol ferry disaster."

He also pointed out that our society has been negligent in efforts such as building a safe society to prevent the recurrence of social disasters.

He stated, "Efforts have been made to enshrine the people's right to safety in the Constitution, to enact basic laws concerning life and safety, and to establish an independent body to professionally investigate major social disasters and tragedies," but lamented, "Unfortunately, none of these efforts have borne fruit."

He went on to say, "The Itaewon disaster on October 29 and the Osong underground passage disaster are like report cards showing how much progress our society has made in building a safe society over the past 10 years since the Sewol ferry disaster," urging the government and the National Assembly to join forces for fundamental institutional improvements to prevent social disasters from recurring.