By Lee Kyung-min
A netizen investigator, known as "Zaro," has released a documentary about the sinking of the ferry Sewol, claiming that the vessel sank due to an external shock, including a possible collision with a submarine.
The authorities have said that cargo overloading and the crew's inept steering were the main causes of the disaster.
Zaro released an eight-hour-49-minute documentary titled "SEWOLX: Traces of the hidden truth of April 16, 2014," Monday.
Zaro earlier notified the public that the documentary would be released on Christmas Day but it was delayed until Monday afternoon as the huge size of the film caused problems unexpectedly in uploading it to YouTube.
It is not clear whether Zaro is comprised of one person or more, with one man making all the media interviews.
Zaro, with the help of Ewha Womans University chemistry and nanoscience professor Kim Kwan-mook, began collecting evidence six months after the accident and started making the documentary last January.
First, Zaro cast doubt on the prosecution's findings that the ferry capsized due to a cargo overload the crew failed to fasten to the deck, as well as their inept steering.
He said that the discrepancy of the Sewol's actual track and the one created by numerous research institutes' simulations indicate the ferry was hit by a significant outside force underwater.
Zaro said an unidentified object captured by the radar of the Vessel Traffic Services Center (VTS) was the cause of the sinking. The object disappeared 10 minutes after the ships allegedly collided.
While the Korea Coast Guard and experts initially believed it was 25 containers that broke loose and fell after the ferry made a sharp right turn, Zaro said at that point, the ferry was not tilted enough for the containers to fall, adding that multiple survivors consistently said they heard a loud thud before the ferry began tilting, not after.
Further, based on the radar, the actual size of the object is estimated to have been about 1,000 square meters, while the containers were only 4 meters long, far smaller than the object.
Zaro further said that while the right side of the ferry can be examined, the left side — the crucial part that requires examining — is still under water.
Zaro raised an allegation that the Navy was trying to cover up the submarine collision and delay the investigation to preserve the goal it accomplished the following year, 2015, when the Navy went 2 million nautical milewithout an accident for 23 years, and became the fifth country to export submarines to other countries.
In response, the Navy denied this, saying no military exercise was ongoing at the time of the accident, adding that the water there was not deep enough for submarine operations.
Zaro is best known for his evidence gathering efforts that helped prove allegations that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) meddled in the 2012 presidential election to help the ruling party candidate at the time, Park Geun-hye, by organizing an illegal online campaign. He listed Twitter accounts and major Korean portal log-in IDs created and used by NIS officials containing messages favorable to Park and critical of her opponent Moon Jae-in.
Zaro is also known for forcing culture minister nominee Chung Sung-geun to voluntarily resign from the nomination by revealing his past remarks pledging allegiance to Park and mocking opposition lawmakers on Twitter.
The Sewol sank in southern waters off Jin Island, killing more than 300 people, mostly high school students on a trip to Jeju Island.
A netizen investigator, known as "Zaro," has released a documentary about the sinking of the ferry Sewol, claiming that the vessel sank due to an external shock, including a possible collision with a submarine.
The authorities have said that cargo overloading and the crew's inept steering were the main causes of the disaster.
Zaro released an eight-hour-49-minute documentary titled "SEWOLX: Traces of the hidden truth of April 16, 2014," Monday.
Zaro earlier notified the public that the documentary would be released on Christmas Day but it was delayed until Monday afternoon as the huge size of the film caused problems unexpectedly in uploading it to YouTube.
It is not clear whether Zaro is comprised of one person or more, with one man making all the media interviews.
Zaro, with the help of Ewha Womans University chemistry and nanoscience professor Kim Kwan-mook, began collecting evidence six months after the accident and started making the documentary last January.
First, Zaro cast doubt on the prosecution's findings that the ferry capsized due to a cargo overload the crew failed to fasten to the deck, as well as their inept steering.
He said that the discrepancy of the Sewol's actual track and the one created by numerous research institutes' simulations indicate the ferry was hit by a significant outside force underwater.
Zaro said an unidentified object captured by the radar of the Vessel Traffic Services Center (VTS) was the cause of the sinking. The object disappeared 10 minutes after the ships allegedly collided.
While the Korea Coast Guard and experts initially believed it was 25 containers that broke loose and fell after the ferry made a sharp right turn, Zaro said at that point, the ferry was not tilted enough for the containers to fall, adding that multiple survivors consistently said they heard a loud thud before the ferry began tilting, not after.
Further, based on the radar, the actual size of the object is estimated to have been about 1,000 square meters, while the containers were only 4 meters long, far smaller than the object.
Zaro further said that while the right side of the ferry can be examined, the left side — the crucial part that requires examining — is still under water.
Zaro raised an allegation that the Navy was trying to cover up the submarine collision and delay the investigation to preserve the goal it accomplished the following year, 2015, when the Navy went 2 million nautical milewithout an accident for 23 years, and became the fifth country to export submarines to other countries.
In response, the Navy denied this, saying no military exercise was ongoing at the time of the accident, adding that the water there was not deep enough for submarine operations.
Zaro is best known for his evidence gathering efforts that helped prove allegations that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) meddled in the 2012 presidential election to help the ruling party candidate at the time, Park Geun-hye, by organizing an illegal online campaign. He listed Twitter accounts and major Korean portal log-in IDs created and used by NIS officials containing messages favorable to Park and critical of her opponent Moon Jae-in.
Zaro is also known for forcing culture minister nominee Chung Sung-geun to voluntarily resign from the nomination by revealing his past remarks pledging allegiance to Park and mocking opposition lawmakers on Twitter.
The Sewol sank in southern waters off Jin Island, killing more than 300 people, mostly high school students on a trip to Jeju Island.
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