The Sewol ferry is stationed at Mokpo New Port in Mokpo City, Jeollanam-do on the afternoon of the 16th, the sixth anniversary of the 4·16 Sewol ferry disaster. Mokpo-freelancer Jeongpil Jang
The Sewol ferry disaster special investigation team (Director Gwan-hyuk Lim, Seoul High Prosecutor’s Office) announced the results of the investigation over the past one year and two months, and ended its activities on the 19th.
Regarding the suspicion that the former Armed Forces Military Command or the National Intelligence Service inspected the family of the Sewol ferry, the investigation concluded that it was not suspicious.
The suspicion was not found in connection with the suspicion of the operation of the Sewol ferry track and the suspicion that the coast guard transferred the drowned student Im Mo-gun to a ship rather than a helicopter and abandoned the rescue on the day of the disaster.
According to the prosecution, the special group has investigated 17 suspicions related to the Sewol ferry disaster, prosecuted 20 people, and has dismissed 15 cases without prosecution.
There is no evidence that the helicopter was not transported, knowing the possibility of survival.
The special team handed over 11 maritime police commanders, including former Maritime Police Commissioner Kim Seok-gyun, to trial in February last year on suspicion of inflicting large-scale human damage by failing to give instructions necessary for the rescue of passengers to rescue personnel dispatched to the accident site.
However, as it had been seven hours after falling into the sea, it was judged that there was no evidence that the coast guard command used a helicopter and transported the army by ship, even though he knew his survival potential.
Kim Je-nam, chief of the Civil Society of the Blue House, is in front of the Blue House fountain in December of last year, calling for the investigation of the truth of the Sewol ferry disaster. News 1
Sewol ferry surviving family inspection “no charge”
In connection with the suspicion of interfering with the investigation of the 4/16 Sewol ferry disaster special investigation committee (Special Assistance Committee), the special group abused nine people, including former Blue House Secretary Lee Byung-ki, former policy coordinator Hyun Jeong-taek, and former political affairs chief Hyun Ki-hwan in May last year. He was charged with imprisonment for obstructing the exercise of his right
However, there was no charge in the case in which former President Park Geun-hye, former president Kim Ki-chun, and officials of the security guard were accused of inspecting the family of the Sewol ferry.
The special group confirmed that the intelligence agency has prepared a trend report on the surviving family, but said that it did not confirm specific and realistic infringement of rights such as follow-up, wiretapping, and hacking.
In addition, it was acknowledged that former President Park Geun-hye or former secretary general Kim Ki-chun received a report on the trend of the bereaved family from a security officer, but it was not confirmed that the Blue House or the Ministry of Defense ordered an inspection or received a related report.
“I can’t confirm the fact of the wake manipulation”
The special team also investigated the suspicion of manipulation of the Sewol closed circuit (CC) TV’s DVR (recording device that stores CCTV images), but decided to hand over the relevant records to the special prosecution as the special investigation was scheduled.
The suspicion of the operation of the Sewol ferry was also submitted and analyzed, but the operation was not confirmed.
The special team also examined various suspicions raised by the families of the Sewol ferry, such as external pressure in the investigation by the Ministry of Justice and the suspicion of external pressure by the auditor of the Blue House, but said it did not find any suspicions.
The Sewol ferry disaster special investigation team was established in November 2019 in response to public opinion that a full re-investigation of suspicions surrounding the disaster was required.
Reporters Lee Hae-jun and Kang Kwang-woo [email protected]