Insiders blame maritime ministry-police discord for bungled response to ferry sinking

As the country seeks answers to the deadly sinking of the Sewol ferry two weeks ago that left hundreds of people dead or missing, people who know the inner workings of sea-related agencies are describing a power struggle between the maritime ministry and the Coast Guard that probably botched an early response that could have saved many lives.

The 6,825-ton ferry Sewol, carrying 476 passengers and crew members, sank off the country's southwestern island of Jindo on April 16.

Investigators have found a number of factors that could have caused the deadly accident, including cargo overloading and an inexperienced crew at the helm.

However, there is still no clear explanation for time being wasted as different vessel traffic service (VTS) centers responded to distress calls. Insiders point to a lack of cooperation and communication between the maritime ministry and the Coast Guard, whose history together hasn't been amicable.

The first distress call by the ship's crew members was made to the VTS center on Jeju island, where the ship was headed. The Jeju center did not have authority over waters off Jindo island where the ferry sank.

It took 11 minutes before the VTS center in Jindo contacted the sinking ship after it was finally notified of the accident.

The delay in communication, insiders say, is most likely from the fact that the VTS centers in Jeju and Jindo are in fact two different organizations despite their identical names. (Yonhap)