Dead part-time employees ignored by Sewol owner

Cheonghaejin Marin raised a concern by suggesting it won't cover funeral costs for part time employees of the sunken ferry Sewol.

By Ko Dong-hwan

The owner of the sunken ferry Sewol refused coverage of funeral costs for part-time employees of the ship, according to Kookmin Ilbo Wednesday.

The development sprouted from the deaths of Lee, 19, and Bang, 20, who worked in Sewol distributing meals to passengers. After the accident, their bodies were recovered Tuesday on the ferry’s fifth floor lobby.

The report said Cheonghaejin Marine, the ferry’s owner, notified the city of Incheon that they will cover funeral expenditures only for its regular employees and not for part-timers.

There were a total of four part-time employees on board Sewol, among whom two survived the disaster. The report said the four were long-time friends since elementary school.