DP Vows to Break "Vicious Cycle" of Sewol Ferry Tragedy... Will Expedite Basic Life and Safety Act

Expressing Legislative Commitment in Memory of 304 Sewol Victims
Han Jeongae Urges Cooperation from the People Power Party

Byungdo Han, the floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, pledged on April 16 to expedite the passage of the Basic Act on Life and Safety.

At the Policy Coordination Meeting held at the National Assembly that day, Floor Leader Han remarked, "Today marks the 12th anniversary of the Sewol ferry disaster." He continued, "I deeply mourn the 304 victims who have become stars in the sky."

Byungdo Han, the floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the Policy Coordination Meeting held at the National Assembly on April 16, 2026. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

He went on to express his determination to accelerate the legislative process to end the recurrence of such tragedies. Han stated, "In the novel 'The Boy Is Coming,' author Han Kang wrote, 'After you died, because I could not hold a funeral for you, my life itself turned into a funeral.' The pain of tragedies where the truth and responsibility have not been fully clarified continues for all of us who survived. Unfortunately, even after Sewol, these tragedies have been repeated." He added, "The Democratic Party and the Lee Jae-myung administration will put an end to this vicious cycle. We will enshrine safety as a fundamental right of the people and process the Basic Act on Life and Safety—which establishes an independent disaster investigation body—as swiftly as possible."

Floor Leader Han also introduced, "The government has decided to establish the National Committee on Life and Safety under the President." He added, "The party and the administration will work together to build a true Korea that puts the lives of its people first. The Democratic Party will see this through to the end so that the sacrifices will not be in vain."

Junge Han, the chairperson of the Democratic Party’s Policy Committee, also confirmed the party’s commitment to passing the Basic Act on Life and Safety, stating, "Legislating the Basic Act on Life and Safety is a mission of our time that can no longer be delayed if we are to move toward a society where life and safety are respected." She urged the People Power Party to cooperate so the bill can be passed without delay.

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