| President Moon Jae-in hugs Kim Young-oh, father of Kim Yu-min, a victim of Sewol ferry sinking, during a meeting with survivors and relatives of deceased victims of the disaster at Cheong Wa Dae, Seoul, Wednesday. Moon apologized to them over the incident on behalf of the government, and pledged an expanded investigation to find out the truth about the sinking. / Yonhap |
By Kim Rahn
President Moon Jae-in offered an apology on behalf of the government Wednesday for the 2014 Sewol ferry sinking, and promised an expanded investigation to find out the truth about the nation's worst-ever maritime disaster.
Moon invited 207 people ― survivors and relatives of deceased victims ― to a meeting at Cheong Wa Dae. This was the first time for them to be invited to the presidential office, as the former Park Geun-hye administration had refused to meet with them in the aftermath of the sinking on April 16, 2014.
Moon said the government failed to prevent the disaster, adding it was incapable and irresponsible in rescue operations, did not comfort the bereaved families properly, and attempted to interfere with an investigation into the disaster.
"It is belated, but I, as the representative of the government, offer my apology and words of comfort," he said. "I'll build up a country which takes every citizen's life and safety preciously, so the victims' sacrifices will not be meaningless."
He said the Sewol incident still haunts not only the survivors and relatives of the victims, but also many people in the country, three years later because there are so many unsolved issues ― exactly why the ship sank, why the government was so incapable and irresponsible in its response, what then-President Park was doing while that many children were dying, why the Park administration avoided truth-finding efforts, and why it took that long to salvage the ship.
"We need to find out the truth not only to resolve the relatives' deep sorrow but also to prevent such a disaster from recurring. So I promise the government will look for answers to all the remaining questions," Moon said.
He also vowed the government would try to find the remains of the five victims that have still not been recovered.
After delivering his speech at the beginning of the meeting, Moon mainly listened to the participants.
Jeon Myeong-seon, a representative of the bereaved families, said they believe it is the state's duty to protect its people. "The government will be able to keep its promise to renew the country only when it can protect people's lives and safety," he said.
He called for truth-finding and due punishment of those responsible for the disaster. "In that sense, there should not be other such attempts, illegally made by the Park administration, to obstruct the investigation and conceal the truth. And an independent investigative body should be set up," Jeon said.
His call came as a special committee investigating the case was disbanded in September without many results, allegedly due to the Park administration's attempt to limit its timeframe, authority and reach.
The relatives also suggested the government preserve the salvaged ship and use it as an exhibit at a safety education center, and set up a long-term roadmap to financially support the psychological treatment of survivors and the relatives of the deceased. They asked that some of the survivors be allowed to participate on the second investigative committee.
Cheong Wa Dae officials said they have sought the meeting with the relatives since June but delayed it due to the President's continuous overseas trips for summits.
During the election campaign, Moon had pledged to uncover the whole truth about the sinking, the cause of which has been controversial, as well as about the Park administration's alleged belated and inept response to the disaster.
On May 11, a day after his inauguration, Moon said the government would consider reinvestigating the sinking by setting up a second special investigative committee.
When multiple bones presumed to belong to the unrecovered victims were found the next day, Moon posted a comment to an online news report with his personal ID, "I hope all the people who are still unaccounted for will be returned to their families."
On May 15, he ordered related agencies to recognize two contract teachers of Danwon High School, who died on the ferry while trying to rescue students, as having died on duty in order to provide government compensation. The two had been denied the recognition because they were not full-time teachers and thus were not recognized as public officials.