Sewol disaster victims to get compensation

The Korean government will begin offering compensation to victims of last year’s Sewol ferry sinking disaster from this month, as the nation continues to deal with disputes over the mishandling of the disaster.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced Tuesday that it has finalized the scope of compensation for bereaved families and 157 survivors and will start receiving requests for compensation.

The move comes nearly one year after the ferry sank on April 16. More than 300 people died in the sinking of the ferry, which had 476 people on board. Nine people are still missing. Most of the victims were high school students and their teachers, who were on a school trip to the southern resort island of Jeju.

The compensation process had been delayed, partly due to a prolonged search for the nine missing passengers. The search for bodies ended in November last year, with family members of the missing last week calling on the government to recover the submerged ship.

Based on the compensation plan, 420 million won ($378,000) is expected for students who lost their lives and 760 million won for teachers who were killed after staying behind to save students.

The family members of victims are expected to receive around 200 million won, with an additional 100 million won in insurance. Compensation for others involved in the incident will vary depending on their age and income, said the ministry.

The government will provide compensation to survivors for their injuries and estimated loss of income.

As the nation awaits the first anniversary of the tragedy this month, the Education Ministry said it will designate a mourning period from April 13 to 17. A moment of silence will take place on April 16.

Religious communities will also take part in the mourning, with catholic churches and Buddhist temples holding ceremonies to pay tribute to the victims.

The Sewol sinking marked one of the nation’s worst manmade disasters. Since the tragedy, crew members have been sentenced from five to 30 years in prison for abandoning the ferry and leaving victims to drown ― the ship’s 68-year-old captain Lee Joon-seok was sentenced to 36 years.

The disaster disclosed a slew of irregularities associated with Sewol’s operator Chonghaejin Marine. Following a nationwide manhunt, the owner of Chonghaejin Yoo, Byung-eun, was found dead in a field in Suncheon, South Jeolla Province in July last year. While police ruled out foul play, his cause of death remains unknown.

The Sewol tragedy has raised questions around the government’s safety regulations and eventually led to the resignation of then-Prime Minister Chung Hong-won in February this year.

By Yeo Jun-suk (jasonyeo@heraldcorp.com)