SEWOL FERRY DISASTER PROBE RESULTS

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The special prosecutorial task force investigating the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster has announced the results of its 14-month probe. It has confirmed some of allegations, such as negligence of duty on the part of the Coast Guard and Cheong Wa Dae's obstruction of investigation. However, most of the accusations raised by the bereaved families have been dismissed.

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In August 2014, an official from the National Intelligence Service visited the hospital where a family member of a Sewol ferry disaster victim was to be hospitalized and met with the hospital director. Based on CCTV footage, committees looking into social disasters raised the possibility of government surveillance of the victims' bereaved families and requested a probe last year. But the special prosecutorial task force dropped the charges. Although it did confirm that the NIS monitored the bereaved families, it said the agency did not collect information illegally, nor did it use it to pressure them. The investigators also cleared of charges those who boarded a patrol airplane and a helicopter at the time, who were accused of neglecting their duty to rescue. The task force said the responsibility for rescuing ferry passengers belonged to the supervisors. As to the news agencies that mistakenly reported that all the Sewol ferry passengers had been rescued, the probe has concluded they did not do that deliberately. The committee also investigated allegations that were not filed officially. Former presidential chief of staff Kim Ki-choon and former national security adviser Kim Jang-soo have also been cleared of allegations.

[Soundbite] IM KWAN-HYEOK(SPECIAL PROSECUTORIAL TASK FORCE) : "We did our best to investigate all the allegations thoroughly, because we believe finding the truth is of utmost importance."

The investigators looked into 17 allegations regarding the Sewol ferry sinking. Only two of them -- the Coast Guard command's negligence in rescuing drowning passengers and Cheong Wa Dae's attempt to disrupt the investigation -- have been confirmed at least partially.