Mass disasters lawyer Jonathan C. Reiter discusses the recent agreement between party leaders in South Korea to expand a probe into the Sewol ferry disaster.
Party leaders in South Korea have reached an agreement following a dispute over legislation that would deepen an investigation into the Sewol ferry disaster that occurred last April. According to mass disasters lawyer Jonathan C. Reiter, reports released Tuesday indicate that although the country’s ruling and opposition parties came to an agreement on the terms of the bill, some families of victims killed in the incident strongly oppose the measure.
South Korea parties back, families oppose, ferry disaster probe
“SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korean ruling and opposition party leaders agreed on Tuesday on legislation to investigate April’s Sewol ferry disaster more deeply, but a spokesman for families of the victims said they would oppose the bill.”
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Over 300 people were killed as a result of the sinking of the MV Sewol ferry on April 16. The vessel was reportedly overloaded and traveling at excessive speed, causing it to capsize and sink. There has been criticism of how the government has handled the disaster in the aftermath in addition to the rescue operation. There has also been widespread scrutiny of the actions of the captain and several crewmembers, which now face criminal charges in connection with the incident.
Yoo Gyoung-geun, whose daughter was killed in the disaster and is a spokesman for the families of the victims, is quoted as stating in the Reuters report, “Our families have been hurt a lot and some of us thought politicians are just using us for their election campaign.”
Attorney Jonathan C. Reiter, whose New York based mass disasters law firm helps survivors and families of victims of mass disasters with legal inquiries, says that the case illustrates the plight of many families who have lost loved ones as a result of any type of mass disaster. As in the case of the Sewol ferry tragedy, families are often left in a state of limbo when searching for answers to questions about not only what led to the disaster, but also whether the government and entities charged with handling it did so in the best way possible.
A special session is expected to convene on August 25, so that legislative committees can discuss whether to approve the bill, the mass disasters lawyer reports.
