Sewol Ferry - update

It's been awhile since I've posted because a day here in S. Korea seems like a week with all that happens. But since I doubt that most Americans have heard the news regarding the Sewol Ferry tragedy where more than 300 people were drowned or are missing, mostly Danwon High School students, I thought I'd start here.

Life in Korea sometimes resembles a soap opera, the truth is stranger than fiction.

After the disaster:

Danwon High School's Vice Principal, Kang Min-Kyu who had been rescued from the ferry, committed suicide.

The de-facto owner of the operator of Sewol ferry: Yoo Byung-eun went missing. He was the nation's most wanted fugitive and 1.3 million police mobilized in his manhunt for an unprecedented W500,000,000 ($486,500) reward. There were rumors he escaped to a foreign location with the aid of his brother-in-law. France denied him safe haven or sanctuary since he was a wanted criminal.

Six weeks went by when they found his remains in a field 2.5 km from his villa in Suncheon, S. Jeolla. He was lying on his back in a winter jacket. His body was very decomposed, but they were able to take a finger print off of his right index finger. While his head was separated from his body, he was still wearing a hat.

The National Police Commissioner General Lee Sung-han resigns. Lee, a veteran police officer with more than 30 years of experience in the investigative agency. It wasn't determined until June 6th several months later that the body they had found was Yoo Byung-eun.

Three days later Yoo Dae-kyun, Yoo Byung-eun's son was picked up in a southern suburb of Seoul and arrested. His mother, Yoo Byung-eun's wife, Kwon Yoon-ja, was arrested last month and their daughter, Yoo Som-na, has been fighting an extradition order from Paris.

There has been a hunger strike by family members of those killed in the ferry accident in Gwanghwamun square in central Seoul for more than 3 weeks.

Admiral Yi Sunshin overlooks children playing while Sewol parents mourn

 

 The strikers demand expedition of parliamentary passage of a special law to determine the cause of the disaster. They were recently joined by singer Kim Jang-hoon. After fasting for 4 days, Kim performed a concert to mark the 100th day after sinking.

Fifteen Sewol crew members are currently on trial, including the captain and 3 senior officers who are accused of "homicide through willful negligence" a charge that carries the death penalty. The bulk of the charges arise from the fact that they chose to abandon the ferry while hundreds of people were trapped inside.

August 10, the government announced plans to bolster regulations on drunken sailing, a move that comes in line with enhanced public awareness on marine safety following the disaster. I'm not sure if this regulation intimates the crew was drinking as that story has not been released.