Sewol committee files suit over probe period
Members of the special fact-finding committee on the Sewol ferry tragedy demand the government guarantee their investigation activity, during a press conference in front of the Seoul Administrative Court in southern Seoul, Monday, after filing a suit against the government. They claim the government applied a wrong interpretation on the probe period and thus they can continue their work. / Yonhap
Salvage work may not finish within year
By Lee Kyung-min
A fact-finding committee on the Sewol ferry tragedy filed a suit against the government, Monday, over what it claims as “back wages” in a move to seek a judicial review on the committee’s investigation period.
A total of 46 members of the Special Investigation Commission on the April 16 Sewol Ferry Disaster filed the suit with the Seoul Administrative Court, demanding that the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries recognize the committee’s operation period until next February and pay them the corresponding amount of monthly wages.
“While the government unilaterally notified us that our investigation period ended on June 30, we have been carrying out our work,” the committee members said during a press conference in front of the court.
“We are seeking a legal review over the committee’s investigation period. We can’t stop the probe with the unilateral notification while the work remains unfinished.”
The ministry and committee have been at odds over which date should be recognized as the beginning of the committee’s activity.
According to the special law governing the operation of the committee, it can operate for up to a year after its creation. Its activity can also be extended for another six months if necessary.
While the ministry claims that the committee was formed on Jan. 1 last year when the law took effect, the committee claims it was actually formed in August, when the government finalized allocating the necessary budget and manpower.
Late last month, the ministry notified the committee that its activity was to officially end by Sept. 30, which included a three-month assessment report writing period between June 30 and Sept. 30.
The committee members said the government failed to offer any legal basis for ending their activity. “The government initially requested the Ministry of Government Legislation for interpretation of the committee operation period, but it withdrew the request later after finding precedents were against it,” they said.
According to Rep. Lee Gae-ho of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea, the Ministry of Government Legislation had two cases for which it recognized the activities of related special committees began when their manpower and budget were finalized, not when the relevant law took effect.
In the meantime, Fisheries Minister Kim Young-suk said recently that salvaging the sunken ferry Sewol might not be completed by the end of this year due to delays in setting up underwater salvage equipment.
He said that consultations are ongoing between ministry officials and Shanghai Salvage, the Chinese state-run consortium in charge of the salvage operation, over the extension of the contract period.
The sinking of the Sewol on April 16, 2014 was the worst maritime disaster in Korea, costing more than 300 lives, mostly high school students on a trip to Jeju Island.