By Jun Ji-hye
The Navy said Tuesday that it will take legal action against an online commenter and professor over "false" claims that the deadly sinking of the Sewol ferry was the result of a collision with a submarine.
"We once again make it clear there were no submarines in operation or conducting drills in the nearby waters on April 16, 2014, when the accident took place," the Navy said in a statement.
The comment came after the online commentator, known as "Zaro," uploaded a nearly nine-hour-long documentary on YouTube, Monday, claiming the Sewol collided with a submarine according to his analysis of radar recordings. He also said the Navy may have covered this up in order to achieve its goal of sailing 2 million miles without an accident.
Kim Kwan-mook, a nanoscience professor at Ewha Womans University who provided Zaro with scientific advice, also said radar data showed something near the ferry on the day of the accident and claimed it was a submarine passing by.
The Navy denied those claims, saying the nearby waters are 37 meters deep on average and not suitable for submarine operations due to rapid currents as well as heavy commercial shipping and fishing boat traffic.
"We are considering filing a lawsuit against Zaro and Prof. Kim for spreading false information and defamation of submarine crewmembers," a Navy official said.
The government has blamed the sinking on cargo overloading and the crew's inept steering, but experts pointed out that various suspicions continue to be produced, including Zaro's documentary, as the public anger and distrust toward the government's handling of the tragedy have deepened.
They cited one example that controversy is still surrounding what President Park Geun-hye was doing for seven hours when the ferry was sinking.
The Navy said Tuesday that it will take legal action against an online commenter and professor over "false" claims that the deadly sinking of the Sewol ferry was the result of a collision with a submarine.
"We once again make it clear there were no submarines in operation or conducting drills in the nearby waters on April 16, 2014, when the accident took place," the Navy said in a statement.
The comment came after the online commentator, known as "Zaro," uploaded a nearly nine-hour-long documentary on YouTube, Monday, claiming the Sewol collided with a submarine according to his analysis of radar recordings. He also said the Navy may have covered this up in order to achieve its goal of sailing 2 million miles without an accident.
Kim Kwan-mook, a nanoscience professor at Ewha Womans University who provided Zaro with scientific advice, also said radar data showed something near the ferry on the day of the accident and claimed it was a submarine passing by.
The Navy denied those claims, saying the nearby waters are 37 meters deep on average and not suitable for submarine operations due to rapid currents as well as heavy commercial shipping and fishing boat traffic.
"We are considering filing a lawsuit against Zaro and Prof. Kim for spreading false information and defamation of submarine crewmembers," a Navy official said.
The government has blamed the sinking on cargo overloading and the crew's inept steering, but experts pointed out that various suspicions continue to be produced, including Zaro's documentary, as the public anger and distrust toward the government's handling of the tragedy have deepened.
They cited one example that controversy is still surrounding what President Park Geun-hye was doing for seven hours when the ferry was sinking.
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