ONE of the most recent and tragic maritime accidents in South Korea is the sinking of the MV Sewol which occurred on April 16, 2014 while en route to the popular tourist destination Jeju Island from the city of Incheon, just near the capital Seoul.
While carrying 476 passengers, the ferry capsized. Most of the passengers of the ill-fated ferry were secondary school students of the Danwon National High School in Ansan City.
Many passengers were rescued by fishing boats and other commercial vessels, which arrived on the scene 30 minutes ahead of the South Korean Coast Guard and Navy. The rescue operations are still ongoing with the United States Navy aiding in the efforts.
Speculations abound about the cause of the disaster. Mainstream theories such as that posited by the South Korean Coast Guard said that the vessel executed a sudden turn, causing its cargo to rapidly shift in position. This is the official cause announced by the Coast Guard.
Other possible causes include renovations recently done on the vessel, and serious overloading.
A professor from the Korean Maritime University, Kim Gil Soo, said the Sewol ferry had been renovated with additional passenger cabins in the third, fourth and fifth deck causing the vessel to shift its center of gravity.
The Korean Register (KR) said that following its purchase from a Japanese owner two years ago, the vessel was renovated to accommodate an additional 117 passengers. KR accepted the renovation on the condition that ballast water was increased and the cargo carrying capacity was reduced in order to secure the vessel’s stability. The statement came after KR handed over related documents to investigators probing the cause of the disaster.
But it appeared that there was not enough water in the ballast tank, even after the expansion of the cabin, according to a former mate of Sewol interviewed by Arirang TV.
“The Sewol-ho ferry should not be steered steeply. It has bad balance due to expansion of the cabin, and there isn’t enough water in the ballast tank, which stabilizes its balance because the operator wanted to load more passengers and vehicles,” Arirang quoted the former mate as saying.
South Korean prosecutors have also alleged that the ferry was seriously overloaded. The ferry operator, Chonghaejin Marine Co., reported to the Korean Register of Shipping that it was carrying 3608 tons of cargo but the ship can only carry 987 tons.
Moreover. the ferry’s captain also claimed in paperwork that Sewol only carried 150 cars and 657 tons of other cargo, according to the coast guard, which meant he lied in the declaration of the ship’s cargo.
The actual cargo of 3,608 tons it carried is also more than three time what an inspector who examined the vessel during a redesign last year said it could safely carry.
Lee Kyu Yeul, professor emeritus in ship and offshore plant design at Seoul National University’s Department of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, said the reported load could have set the ship tipping over with a significant turn. Tracking data show the ship turned 45 degrees before sinking, and crew members have reportedly said that they had tried to make a much less severe turn.
Yang Jung-jin, the prosecutor of the joint investigation team said that the cause of the sinking could be due to excessive veering, improper stowage of cargo, modifications made to the ship and tidal influence. He said investigators would determine the cause by consulting with experts and using simulations.
Still, investigators also lay the blame for the ferry’s sinking on its crew members, including its captain who was not at the ship’s helm at the time the ferry made an allegedly severe turn.
Capt. Lee Joon-seok was not at the wheel when the ferry began listing, rather, it was the Sewol ferry’s third mate who was manning it.
Furthermore, the ferry’s captain said he withheld the evacuation order because rescuers had yet to arrive and he feared for passengers’ safety in the cold water.
A loudspeaker announcement also told passengers to stay put. Only a few lifeboats were deployed.
Most of the young passengers obeyed, because of the culture of obedience instilled early on among the South Korean youth.
Crew members defended their actions.
Capt. Lee, however, admitted he was among the first to abandon the ship when it was evident that it was going to sink.
He expressed his apologies to the victims’ families when he was arrested.
His actions are in stark contrast of what a ship’s captain should do, which is to ensure first the safety of the passengers and in case of a sinking ship, to make sure that everybody has safely left the vessel before he leaves it.
All 15 people involved in navigating the South Korean ferry that sank and left more than 300 people dead or missing are now in custody after authorities on Saturday, April 26, detained four more crew members.
Prosecutor Yang said two helmsmen and two members of the steering crew were taken in on preliminary arrest warrants issued late Friday. Eleven other crew members, including the captain, had been formally arrested earlier.
All are accused of negligence and of failing to help passengers in need as the ferry Sewol sank April 16. The captain initially told passengers to stay in their rooms and took half an hour to issue an evacuation order, by which time the ship was tilting too severely for many people to get out.
The tragedy incited reactions not only in South Korea but also around the globe. South Korean President Park Gyeun-He has ordered maximum efforts to rescue as many survivors as possible. On April 17, one day after the accident, Park visited the site.
South Korea’s Prime Minister Jung Hong-won said that he will take responsibility for the accident and resigned from his position.
United States President Barack Obama, even before his visit to South Korea, sent his condolences to the South Korean people and offered the aid of the US Navy in the rescue efforts.
On his trip Friday, April 25, President Obama honored the victims of the South Korea ferry disaster, leading a moment of silence and presenting the Koreans with a memorial flag and magnolia tree from the White House’s South Lawn.
During a joint appearance with South Korea President Park Geun-hye, Obama said the flag “reflects our deep condolences, but also our solidarity with you during this difficult time, and our great pride in calling you an ally and a friend,” .
The tree “represents beauty, and, with every spring, renewal,” Obama said.
Other foreign officials also offered their sympathies including Vietnam, China and Singapore.
So many questions remain to be answered especially for the families of South Korean students,and their grief remains unresolved.
(Eagle News Service with reports from Associated Press and Reuters)