'Sewol Ferry Rescue Failure' Former Coast Guard Chief Kim Seok-gyun and 6 Commanders Detained for Prosecution

Kim Seok-gyun, Former Coast Guard Chief, and 6 Others to Undergo Warrant Hearing on the 8th
First Detention in 5 Years and 9 Months

Former Korea Coast Guard Commissioner Kim Seok-gyun, who is suspected of 'helicopter rescue delay' on the day of the Sewol ferry disaster, is attending the pre-arrest warrant hearing held at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 8th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] Six members of the Coast Guard command, including former Commissioner Kim Seok-gyun, who are accused of failing in rescue operations during the Sewol ferry disaster, appeared in court on the 8th for a pre-trial detention hearing (warrant substantive examination). This is the first time in 5 years and 9 months since the disaster on April 16, 2014, that the Coast Guard command has undergone such a hearing.

Former Commissioner Kim and others arrived at the Seoul Central District Court around 10:20 a.m., where the warrant hearing was held. When asked by reporters whether he acknowledged responsibility for the rescue failure, Kim said, "If my actions can in any way ease the painful hearts of the bereaved families, I will humbly accept the court's decision." He added, "I want to emphasize that in the urgent situation, we in the Coast Guard exerted our utmost efforts to rescue even one more person." Kim and the others did not respond to additional questions regarding whether they admitted to false initial reports and entered the courtroom.

Former Commissioner Kim, former Director of Security and Safety at the Coast Guard Lee Chun-jae, and former Jeju Regional Coast Guard Commissioner Yeo In-tae are undergoing the warrant hearing from 10:30 a.m. under Judge Lim Min-sung, who is in charge of warrants at the Seoul Central District Court. Former West Sea Coast Guard Commissioner Kim Soo-hyun, former Mokpo Coast Guard Station Chief Kim Moon-hong, and former West Sea Coast Guard Situation Officer Yoo Yeon-sik are having their hearings simultaneously under Judge Shin Jong-yeol, also a warrant judge at the same court. The decision on whether to detain Kim and the others is expected to be announced as early as late that night.

Kim and the others are accused of professional negligence resulting in death and injury for failing to fulfill their duty of care necessary for rescue during the Sewol ferry disaster on April 16, 2014, which caused 303 deaths and 142 injuries. Some of the accused, excluding Kim, are also charged with falsifying and using false official documents and abuse of authority to conceal the fact that initial accident responses were not properly conducted.

Meanwhile, the 4·16 Sewol Ferry Disaster Families Association applied for permission to attend the hearing for victim testimonies the day before, but the court did not accept the request. However, the court decided to grant an opportunity to present opinions regarding the detention of the accused at the conclusion of the hearing.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.