S Korea to indemnify families of Sewol ferry disaster victims
South Korea has announced plans to compensate the families of over 300 victims who lost their lives in the Sewol ferry tragedy last year.
On Wednesday, the government said the families of the 11 teachers who died in the ferry disaster will each receive about 760 million Korean won, or about USD 688,000, while the families of each of the students who died will be paid 420 million Korean won, which equals USD 380,000.
The families of the other passengers will receive between 150 million won and 600 million won, depending on their age and income, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said, adding that a committee has been set up to oversee the settlement.
According to officials, the compensation is the first settlement offered to victims’ families.
The government will also offer those who survived the accident compensation for their injuries and loss of income.
However, families of the victims voiced their anger against the government’s announcement, saying the compensation only diverted attention away from their demands for a thorough and independent probe into the accident.
The passenger ship, Sewol, capsized off South Korea’s southern coast en route to the resort Island of Jeju on April 16 2014. It was carrying 476 people, 325 of whom were students from a high school in the city of Ansan, south of the capital, Seoul. Some 172 of those on board were rescued.
The ferry was reportedly carrying an estimated 3,608 tons of cargo -- more than three times what an inspector said it could safely carry.
Captain Lee Jun-Seok, 69, was handed down a 36-year prison sentence for negligence and abandoning his passengers. He and most of the 28-member crew reportedly managed to abandon the sinking passenger ship while so many people were still trapped aboard.
Three other senior crew members were sentenced to jail terms of between 15 and 30 years. The court also sentenced 13 others to up to 20 years in prison.
HJM/GHN/HMV
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