South Korean Maritime Minister Resigns After Sewol

BY Wendy Laursen 2014-12-23 17:21:40

South Korea’s maritime minister Lee Ju-young resigned on Tuesday after handling the aftermath of April’s Sewol ferry disaster which claimed more than 300 lives, mostly school children. 

President Park Geun-hye announced the minister’s resignation during a cabinet meeting and said that Lee’s dedication to the recovery efforts deeply moved the victims’ families and the general public, reports Yonhap News. Lee remained on site in Jindo for 136 days while the search for missing people was conducted. 

I believe Lee showed the true image of a public official who must serve the public and expect him to play an even larger role for the nation wherever he goes, said Park. 

Sewol capsized with 476 people on board while it was en route to the southern resort island of Jeju. To date, nine people remain missing and 295 have been confirmed dead. 

Poor steering, cargo overloading and excessive remodelling of the ferry have been cited as causes for the sinking. 

Lee Joon-seok, the captain of the sunken ferry, was sentenced to 36 years in prison for abandoning passengers, but he was acquitted of murder charges. Other crew members have received jail terms ranging from 5 to 30 years. Some of the ferry’s crewmembers were among the first to leave the vessel after the children on board were told to stay in their cabins and await further orders.

Park’s government has been criticized over its handling of the initial response, and the nation’s Coast Guard has since been dismantled. Then prime minister Chung Hong-won announced his resignation shortly after the tragedy. About 50 rescue-related officials have been ordered to resign or face punishment.

The search for missing people was formally ended on November 11.