PM's resignation criticized

Families of the missing watch a news conference of Prime Minister Chung Hong-won at their temporary shelter in Jindo County, South Jeolla Province, Sunday. Chung offered to resign to take responsibility for the government’s incompetence in coping with the sinking of the ferry Sewol. President Park Geun-hye said she will accept Chung’s resignation after all situations involving the accident are resolved. / Korea Times photo by Sohn Yong-seok

By Nam Hyun-woo

Many Koreans and people outside of the country reacted negatively to the sudden resignation of Prime Minister Chung Hong-won over the handling of the Sewol ferry sinking.

Chung offered to resign Sunday morning, saying that he decided to do so to take responsibility for failing to cope properly with the aftermath of the tragedy.

Kim Ok-jin, 34, an office worker, said Chung was “escaping” from the mounting public uproar over the government’s handling of the nation’s biggest maritime disaster in two decades.

“Resignation is a final option for a person who strongly feels responsibility. But not now,” she said. “Resignation offer without any roadmap over handling the situation down the road is nothing more than a flight.”

She expressed disappointment that high-ranking bureaucrats who do not understand “real responsibility” are at the helm of the country.

“The move was cowardly and selfish. I had no trust of this administration in the first place, but this move shows it even lacks the ability to carry minimum responsibility over the tragedy.”

Hong Chan-moon, 28, a bank worker, echoed Kim’s criticism.

“This is a dirty political maneuver,” he said. “After the government was blamed and fingers were pointed for their poor handling of the tragedy, Chung passed the buck, disguising himself as if he is taking full responsibility.”

After the vessel, which carried 476 passengers, sank in waters off Jindo Island, South Jeolla Province, the government apparently lost public trust because of delayed search-and-rescue operations and repeated mistakes on the number of casualties.

Most of the missing and dead were Danwon High School students on a school trip.

Byun Chang-ho, 47, a self-employed, said, “If President Park Geun-hye wanted to do what’s right in this situation, all she had to do was not accept Chung’s resignation and order him to continue doing his job until the missing passengers are rescued or at least the bodies of the dead are fully recovered.”

“All they (politicians) do is offer to resign whenever such tragedies occur. What people want is for them to do their jobs,” said Kim Hyun-yi, 22.

“He should have tendered his resignation only after the search-and-rescue operations are done,” she added.

Meanwhile, foreigners raised questions about why taking responsibility is equal to resignation.

Wagner Bitencourt, from Brazil, said, “I feel so weird why the Prime Minister is taking the responsibility. I don’t know much about Korea’s political system, but I think the maritime ministry or authorities have to take the responsibility.”

He said, “Instead of quitting his job, what the Prime Minister should have done was handle the accident and deter any potential recurrence.”