Sewol Ferry 7th Anniversary, The Unending Disaster Nightmare

7th Anniversary of the Sewol Ferry Disaster on the 16th
Survivors and Bereaved Families Appeal for Justice

Discussion on Including 'Right to Safety' in Domestic Law
"The Right to Protection of Life and Body from Safety Accidents Must Be Specified"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Donghoon Jeong, Jeongyun Lee] "It has been seven years since the disaster, and I have spent more days on the streets than at home. The health of the bereaved families has deteriorated, and social relationships have almost been severed. Although a proper investigation into the truth has not been conducted, society only demands 'victim-like' behavior (Yoon Kyung-hee, family member of the Sewol Ferry disaster victims)."

On the 7th anniversary of the Sewol Ferry disaster on the 16th, the suffering of the survivors continues. Disaster and accident victims and their families held a 'Record and Testimony Meeting of Disaster and Accident Victims and Families' on the 13th at the People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy in Jongno-gu, Seoul. They published a 236-page testimony book covering 17 disaster cases written by victims, families, and support organizations. The 17 industrial accident disasters occurred over 18 years from 2003 to last year. Included were the 2003 Daegu subway disaster, the 2009 Yongsan disaster, the 2011 humidifier disinfectant disaster, and the 2014 Sewol Ferry disaster.

◆The Unending Suffering of Disaster Victims and Families= Yoo Kyung-geun, executive committee member of the 4.16 Sewol Ferry Disaster Families Association, stated, "In all social disaster accidents, investigating the causes and responsibilities is most important, but it always fails because the victims cannot participate in the process at all." He added, "Legal and institutional measures that allow victims to participate proactively are necessary," and "I hope our society realizes the need to accept victims as members of society and enact laws that do not create further pain."

Survivors of the Sewol Ferry disaster residing in Jeju recently filed a compensation lawsuit against the state. They claim that due to the short application period under the 'Sewol Ferry Victim Support Act,' they did not receive proper compensation and were not compensated for illnesses that appeared after receiving compensation. They pointed out the irrationality of the 'Sewol Ferry Victim Support Act,' which limits the application for compensation, consolation, and support payments to within six months of implementation, saying, "The 24 Sewol Ferry survivors in Jeju have not recovered normal lives due to trauma since the accident, but the state provides no support other than medical expenses."

They emphasized, "We informed the government of medical experts' opinions that trauma evaluations should be conducted at least two years after the disaster, but the government insisted that exceptions cannot be made and that compensation cannot be paid if not applied for within the period."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

◆Repeated Disasters, How Have Laws and Systems Been Improved?= Following repeated disasters such as the Sewol Ferry disaster and the death of the late Kim Yong-gyun, who died from an industrial accident while working as a non-regular worker at a thermal power plant, the political sphere has shown efforts to establish institutional measures. However, doubts remain about their effectiveness, as numerous disaster safety bills remain dormant in the National Assembly.

First, there is the 'Basic Life Safety Act' proposed in November last year. The Basic Life Safety Act legally stipulates the 'right to safety' to protect life, body, and property from safety accidents. It also codifies the state's responsibility to guarantee this right, special protection for vulnerable groups, and principles for victim support. Additionally, it includes provisions for objective and professional investigations by independent bodies, memorial and community recovery measures for victims, and the introduction of management and evaluation systems to prevent safety accidents.

Since no current law explicitly states the right to safety, civil society urges the prompt passage of the Basic Life Safety Act. The bill's drafting involved 'Life Safety Citizens Network,' a coalition of over 30 civil society organizations including the 4.16 Sewol Ferry Disaster Families Association, 4.16 Solidarity, the National Network for the Humidifier Disinfectant Disaster, and the Kim Yong-gyun Foundation. However, the bill remains pending in the National Assembly. A representative from the office of Woo Won-sik, a member of the National Assembly's Planning and Finance Committee and the bill's sponsor from the Democratic Party, explained, "The Basic Life Safety Act focuses on victims. It addresses how to protect and remedy victims' rights when disasters occur, including investigating causes and restoring rights, so its prompt passage is necessary."

Other pending issues include amendments to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act and the Sewol Ferry Disaster Victim Support Act. Particularly, civil society groups identify improving the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, which was passed differently from the original draft amid industrial opposition earlier this year, as a key task. Kwon Mi-jung, secretary-general of the Kim Yong-gyun Foundation, pointed out, "The Serious Accidents Act demanded by bereaved families for recurrence prevention does not clearly specify construction site clients as primary contractors responsible for labor safety and health." Lawyer Oh Min-ae of the Lawyers for a Democratic Society stated, "If accidents that could have been prevented due to poor supervision or illegal permits occur, the responsible public officials should also be held accountable. This is an important issue that needs to be addressed in the Serious Accidents Act."

Experts emphasize that in addition to establishing systems, raising safety awareness is also necessary. Professor Gong Ha-seong of the Department of Fire and Disaster Prevention at Woosuk University said, "Although awareness of safety has increased compared to the past, many still hesitate when it comes to spending money on safety," adding, "A firm consciousness to invest economically in safety is needed." He further stated, "The government and local authorities should provide incentives such as tax support or insurance premium reductions when investing in safety."

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