By Park Si-soo and Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporters
Thousands of residents in the western coastal areas hit by the nation's worst oil spill came to Seoul to stage a large-scale rally Wednesday. They called for Samsung Heavy Industries to assume ``unlimited responsibility,'' and for the legislature to draw up a special law for victims of the manmade environmental catastrophe.
More than 3,000 residents from Taean and Seosan, contaminated by 10,500 tons of spilt oil, gathered in front of Seoul Station in central Seoul.
Numerous banners and picket signs read; ``The government and Samsung should compensate,'' ``Enact a special law for the region,'' and ``Samsung should take unlimited responsibility.''
They displayed contaminated fish, seaweed, shellfish and oysters caught near the contaminated areas.
``Taean is in chaos. We're completely broke since the oil spill hit the region,'' Kim Jong-moon, a leader of rally, told The Korea Times on the scene. ``We see no tourists here except for volunteers participating in cleanup operations.''
He said Samsung and the government should come forward with measures for immediate compensation.
Several lawmakers and members of local assemblies were also present at the rally.
Rep. Roh Hoe-chan of Democratic Labor Party said, ``We will do our best to pass the bill on a special law during the special session and launch parliamentary investigation to clarify the reason for the accident and people in charge.''
Noting that it would be too late if the government pushes ahead with the compensation plan with current criteria and policy direction, he said ``In similar cases that took place in France and Spain in 2002, the government there paid around 90 percent of estimated damage in advance. The Korean government needs to compensate in the same way.''
Lee Ki-hyung, head of an ad-hoc committee for the oil spill in Grand National Party (GNP) said the party had submitted a bill on the special law to the National Assembly Monday.
``GNP will put all its efforts toward passing the bill during the extra session in the National Assembly to be held in February,'' Lee said.
The government has asked Samsung Heavy Industries to take a ``reasonable amount of responsibility'' for the oil spill in Taean that one of the company's barges caused.
Kang Moo-hyun, minister of maritime affairs and fisheries, said Wednesday that Samsung should take more responsibility and compensate the residents and the country for the damage its ship's collision caused instead of making simple apologies in newspapers.
His comments came after the prosecution's interim report concluded the nation's worst oil spill was one where both parties were to blame, while downplaying Samsung's fault as professional negligence rather than much anticipated gross negligence on Monday.
If charged, the company was to take ``unlimited responsibility'' for the tragedy that caused billions of won's worth of damage to both residents and the marine eco-system.
On Tuesday, the company made an apology by running ads in newspapers, but Kang and many others expressed discontent.
The minister met a spokesman of Samsung and talked about others ways to compensate the victims. A ministry official said, ``The court will decide how much the company must pay later. But we are asking them to listen to their conscience.''