On November 12th, it was announced that the South Korean government would start salvage operations for the Sewol ferry, which is projected to take at least one year to complete.
The ferry sunk in a tragic accident in April that brought worldwide attention to the nation, with death tolls reaching well over one hundred. In the weeks following the tragedy, the nation grieved for the lives lost, and reactions ranged from cancelled shows to frantic government policies. Many also blamed themselves for the accident and committed suicide.
However, after months of grieving, the families of the victims have asked the government to begin the process of pulling the vessel out of the sea. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries estimated that the salvage operation would take at least a year and cost more than 90 million US dollars to complete. The ministry announced that the decision will be finalized, and they will start the process after further discussion with experts and the relatives of the victims.
Meanwhile, on November 11th Lee Joon Seok, captain of the Sewol ferry, was sentenced to 36 years in prison for neglecting his duties as a captain. Prosecutors had originally pursued the death sentence for Lee Joon Seok. The fact that the Captain was not found guilty of murder, however, caused quite an uproar among the families of the victims, who were quoted with comments such as, “Do you know how many kids died?”, “Is this what our childrens’ lives are worth?”, and “You might as well let them all go!”
You can watch the full report by Arirang News below.
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