By Lee Kyung-min
Bereaved families of nine victims of the Sewol sinking whose remains have yet to be recovered called for a special investigation committee, Wednesday, to devise the safest and most effective measures to recover the remains of their loved ones.
The eight-member committee met with the nine victims’ families at Paengmok Port on the southwestern island of Jindo in South Jeolla Province at 1:40 p.m., in the first official meeting since the committee was formed a day earlier.
“We asked the committee to notify us about the measures by the end of today. After the measures are set, an investigation into the cause of the ferry sinking will follow,” one of the family members said.
The request came shortly after the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced the Sewol is loaded on a semisubmersible recovery ship and is almost ready to be transported to a port in Mokpo. “The key factor in arriving at the destination on time is weather,” said Lee Cheol-jo, an oceans ministry official.
“We were not able to start sailing in the morning as wave height was about 2.2 meters, 0.2 meters higher than the maximum. After taking the weather conditions into account, we will try to complete the transport as early as possible,” he said.
Of the six buoyancy tanks, installed to help the semisubmersible ship stay afloat while the Sewol was loaded onto it, four were removed in the morning.
Workers are nearing the end of securing the Sewol firmly to the giant vessel to prevent it from being detached while sailing, according to the ministry.
The committee members, five appointed by the National Assembly and three by the families, will be allowed full discretion and authorization to inspect the ferry and recover the victims’ remains.
The committee will express concerns and opinions throughout the process on the recovery and preservation of recovered materials.
Upon announcing the date for initiating the investigation, the committee will have six months, with a one-time four-month extension allowed following a committee vote.
A comprehensive government task force set to deal with the aftermath of the Sewol disaster was launched today.
The 105 government officials from the ministries of fisheries, public safety and security, education, justice, health and welfare, employment and labor, environment and interior will be dispatched to Mokpo where 55 temporary container offices will be set up in a 3,000 square-meter lot.
The officials will help support the bereaved family members recovering the bodies of the victims and funeral services. They will provide support for the investigation committee and journalists.
Separately, Mokpo local government said it will operate shuttle buses to better accommodate those who wish to visit the coastal city to pay respects to the victims.
After the Sewol is moved to the port, the city will run a certain number of buses that can carry up to 45 passengers each every 30 minutes from Mokpo’s bus terminal to the port.
As the new port is set to be designated as a high-security area, a memorial altar may be set up at a site where it has a clear view of the ferry, according to the city and the ministry.