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INTERVIEW Salvage of Sewol ferry to resume this month: ocean minister
Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Kim Young-suk speaks during a recent interview with The Korea Times. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
By Park Jae-hyuk
Oceans minister says political situation will not delay operation
By Park Jae-hyuk
Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Kim Young-suk said the salvaging of the ferry Sewol will resume this month at the earliest, regardless of a widely expected presidential election and government change in the first half of the year.
“For those waiting for their missing family members, the government has firmly decided to refloat the ferry as soon as possible without any political considerations,” Minister Kim said in an interview with The Korea Times last Friday.
“Some people say the next administration should take on the task. But I hope the work will be done during my tenure.”
The minister promised to do his best so that the vessel, which sank on April 16, 2014, can be brought ashore by the end of June.
The government has repeatedly made aborted attempts to refloat the ship for one and a half years due to strong currents, heavy winds and the solid seabed near Jindo, South Jeolla Province.
However, Kim is confident of salvaging the shipwreck this time, saying divers have successfully linked 66 wires to 33 lifting beams installed under the ferry.
“A semi-submersible and two raising barges from Shanghai will be on standby in mid-March,” he said. “When divers link the wires to the barges during the neap tide, the ferry will be raised and moved to Mokpo New Port.”
For safer salvage, the minister said cutting the ferry into several pieces is inevitable, although some critics claim that the government is trying to damage the ship to hide the truth of the disaster.
“Unlike bereaved families in Ansan, the families of missing passengers have already agreed to our plan,” he said. “They think it is the most feasible measure to find their family members’ remains as soon as possible.”
Kim said the government regards this as the top priority of the salvage. He expects most of their bodies will be found, once the ferry is brought ashore.
“They are unlikely to have been swept away, considering the tidal current of the West Sea and the ship’s solid structure,” he said. “The government has already installed barriers around the ship and stopped up most of the holes.”
The minister said the Sewol will undergo inspections of its exterior, steering gear and related equipment immediately after its salvage, so that the government can find the exact cause of the sinking.
Improvements after disaster
Kim was appointed minister in November 2015. He built his career at marine-related bureaus after passing the civil service exam in 1984.
Now as a minister, Kim checks on the safety of thousands of Korean ships on oceans worldwide even at night and on weekends. He has been struggling to improve safety systems to prevent big accidents at sea.
Since the Sewol disaster, the ministry has reinforced the role of safety supervisors thoroughly inspecting every ship. However, the minister said ship owners and sailors should embrace toughened safety regulations if they want to avoid any serious maritime disasters.
“Accidents at sea may happen at any time,” he said. “The more important things are how to respond to those accidents and how to improve the safety system.”