Sewol probe over - only officially

By Jung Min-ho

A special investigation of the Sewol ferry sinking has been completed ― but only officially.

The members of a special committee investigating the tragic incident vowed to continue their work even after the deadline for the probe set by the Sewol Special Act that took effect on Jan. 1, 2015, passed Thursday.

Lee Seok-tae, head of the committee, went to work at the Seoul office Friday, cheered by the families of the ferry disaster victims. At Thursday’s meeting, he said, “We may get obstructed tomorrow, but let’s continue our job regardless.”

Yet he may find it hard. The government will no longer provide financial support, and 20 civil servants attached to the 92-member committee will be relocated.

Collection of evidence will also be more difficult as their investigatory rights will be canceled.

The families of Sewol victims told reporters near the office that they will fight to keep the probe alive. They insisted that the committee should have eight additional months to more work because it was nothing but a name until last August when it was provided with sufficient manpower and a budget to do its work.

As the special act guaranteed an 18-month investigation “after the committee is formed,” it is not legitimate to disband it this month, the families claim.

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, who is a potential presidential candidate, has backed the families, saying, “there shouldn’t be an expiration date for finding the truth.”

During a live broadcast on Facebook, he criticized the government and the ruling Saenuri Party for refusing to extend the committee’s investigation period.

According to a recent survey conducted by Research View, 53.1 percent of respondents said the committee’s investigation period should be extended, while 36.6 percent rejected the idea.

The committee has so far found that the ferry was massively overloaded when it capsized on April 16, 2014; but much behind the incident is still unclear. Lee said the investigation has been difficult largely due to uncooperative government agencies.

Meanwhile, Rep. Lee Jung-hyun from the Sanuri Party is in hot water following the revelation of the transcript of a phone conversation between him ― when he was a senior presidential press secretary ― and former KBS director Kim Shi-gon.

According to the document made public by the Union of Media Workers, Lee pressured Kim to remove news critical of the government and the Coast Guard after the ferry incident.

The conversation, the union claimed, is evidence of Cheong Wa Dae’s attempt to hide the truth about the sinking, which both the presidential office and Lee have denied.