The National Assembly passed a resolution Tuesday on the establishment of a memorial park and monument for scores of teenage students killed in the sinking of a ferry off Korea’s southwest coast nearly two weeks ago.
The resolution calls for efforts to build the park and monument in the grief-stricken city of Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, home to a school hit hardest by the tragedy.
More than 300 people were confirmed dead or missing after the ferry Sewol capsized and sank on April 16. Most of the victims were students and teachers from Danwon High School in Ansan, who were on a field trip to the southern resort island of Jejudo.
The resolution also calls for an apology from the government, which has come under fire for its botched rescue attempts.
According to an initial investigation, no evacuation orders were issued while the ship listed and capsized for more than one hour. The ship’s captain and other crew members were among the first to leave the vessel.
Video clips of the accident scene also showed that Coast Guard rescuers sent to the sinking ferry only wasted time, helping the crew members abandon the ship and not taking immediate emergency rescue actions. (Yonhap)
