State Liability

[Anchor Lead]

A South Korean court has ruled that the government was liable for the deaths of 304 people in the Sewol ferry disaster, which happened some four years ago. It took a while to recognize state liability for the worst maritime disaster in Korea's modern history.

[Pkg]

A South Korean court has recognized state liability for the sinking of the Sewol ferry. The court said that the government's failure to take appropriate rescue measures resulted in massive damage. The ruling was based on the verdict for the former captain of a Mokpo Coast Guard patrol boat, Kim Kyung-il, who was found guilty for not taking necessary measures to rescue the ferry passengers. The court said that Kim had an obligation to protect passengers' lives by having them escape from the sinking ship as soon as possible. The court also ordered Cheonghaejin Marine, the operator of the doomed ferry, to compensate the victims because the ship was overloaded and its freight was not fixed properly. Moreover, its captain and crew escaped from the ferry first, leaving the passengers behind. The bereaved families of the disaster victims were emotionally overwhelmed to hear the ruling. The suit was filed by some 350 members of the victims' bereaved families. The amount of damages recognized by the court is approximately 72.3 billion won. The court recognized the government's responsibility for the tragic sinking four years and three months after the disaster and two years and ten months after the suit was filed. However, the bereaved families have yet to find out why this tragedy happened.