3 Truths The Media Isn't Telling You About The Sewol Ferry | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

3 Truths The Media Isn't Telling You About The Sewol Ferry

Let's not forget the lives of 300 people that died unjustly on April 16th, 2014.

3579
3 Truths The Media Isn't Telling You About The Sewol Ferry
딴지일보

Two years ago in 2014, April 16th, a ferry sank off the south coast of Korea, taking with it the lives of more than 400 people. The majority of the passengers were Danwon high school students, heading to Jeju Island, unaware of the danger ahead of them. The 'Sewol accident' was renamed the 'Sewol homicide' after a video was released of the captain abandoning the ferry before even informing the passengers of emergency. In 2015, the captain was found to be guilty of murder and he was sentenced to life in jail after two trials. Outraged and disgusted by the lack of responsibility on the part of not only the captain but also the Korean government, families of the victims and several experts are fighting to uncover the truth behind this unsolved tragedy--even to this day. Let's review the three things that the media is not telling you about the horrific disaster that happened in 2014.

1. The Korean government is restricting the freedom of press. More than you think.

Although South Korea is known to be a democratic nation, Reporters Without Borders ranked the freedom of press level in Korea 70th out of 180 countries. A few weeks ago, a recording file was released regarding the Sewol incident, which accurately illustrates the level of involvement the Korean government has in the press. A member of Congress secretly called the Korean public broadcasting company, KBS, and threatened the press director from broadcasting news that criticized the Korean government and the national marine police.

"I can just make up words when they ask me the details. But don't broadcast anything about us to the public," the Congressman said.

Restricting the freedom of press is ultimately the same as restricting the rights of the general public to know. Why do we have laws in the first place if people can abuse their power to censor the press, and ignore the fundamental rights and still go by unpunished? The Korean people had every right to know about their own national problems from their own broadcasting program, instead of hearing pieces of details from foreign broadcasting companies. The dishonesty and irresponsibility of the Korean government has led many natives to feel betrayal, hatred and distrust towards their national leader and the Congress.

2. 400 tons of iron found in the ship basement.

Recently, a few experts suggested that the sinking process may have been expedited from overloading the ferry with 400 tons of iron. According to Media Today, a Korean newspaper company, Sewol ferry was initially used as a cargo ship, delivering freight to and fro Incheon and Jeju Naval Base for construction. In order to speed up the construction process, 400 tons of iron were loaded along with 476 passengers and 1,400 tons of general cargos, 130 tons of which were placed in Deck C, where the weight can deteriorate the stability of the ship. As the ferry tilted to the left, the first thing that fell were iron and H-beams. However, the 400 tons of steel were recorded as 246 tons on Cheung-Hae-Jin shipping company's official documents. It is widely known in Korea that Cheung-Hae-Jin shipping company is the only one that is required to report marine accidents to the national government. Although the government has not announced any official position on the fabricated documents, many experts question the involvement of the Korean government in erasing official records related to Sewol ferry.

3. The Sewol Act met with controversy

After the terrifying "accident" took place, relatives and friends of the victims urged the Korean government to pass the Sewol Act, to efficiently unearth the real cause of the sinking ferry. After the act was in effect, surprisingly, the general public slowly started to turn their backs on the victims. Those who oppose the Sewol Act demanded that Sewol Act granted both investigation rights and indictment rights to the relatives of the victims, which goes against the Korean justice system completely. However, unlike the beliefs of some people, the Sewol Act is a perfect solution to solve the issue within the boundaries of Korean law. Even if the victims' families are granted investigation rights and indictment rights, it's the lawyers, judges and other law experts in the special investigations committee that have the rights to investigate and to indict, not the families of the victims. Therefore, The Sewol Act would not only speed up the pace of investigation, but also would be free from government involvement and still carry out investigations to uncover the truth as a public institution.

Another reason why some people oppose the Sewol Act is because it grants too much compensation to and takes care of medical expenses for families of the victims. But if you compare it to the survivors of Daegu subway incident, the majority suffered from intense trauma, unable to live a normal life, and the Korean government did not show any support towards these people. Therefore, wouldn't it be necessary to provide financial aid to survivors and families of the victims to help them overcome the traumatic experience? Do you really think that it's a waste for the society to provide the victims with the only safety device they can give?

Although a few people have strived for the truth, no tangible evidence has been found for nearly two years. Whether you have been constantly interested in this issue or only had a spark of interest when it caught the headlines on CNN or you have heard about this incident for the first time, just keep in mind that the families of the victims need our continuous interest. As of right now in Korea, entertainment news are used as a cover-up for numerous political issues and problems. Therefore, it is crucial for the general public to show more interest in issues like this, that can affect individuals in the near future, instead of scandals, celebrities on drugs etc, to prevent further censorship of the press by the Korean government.

The families and friends of victims do not need money or fame. Instead, they yearn for people they can trust to tell them the truth about what happened that day. If the Korean government cannot do that, then who will? So please, Korean congressmen and President Park, I beg you, stop trying so hard covering up the truth and spend more time listening to what the people in your country actually need.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
friends

Whether you're commuting or dorming, your first year of college is a huge adjustment. The transition from living with parents to being on my own was an experience I couldn't have even imagined- both a good and a bad thing. Here's a personal archive of a few of the things I learned after going away for the first time.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

Economic Benefits of Higher Wages

Nobody deserves to be living in poverty.

300007
Illistrated image of people crowded with banners to support a cause
StableDiffusion

Raising the minimum wage to a livable wage would not only benefit workers and their families, it would also have positive impacts on the economy and society. Studies have shown that by increasing the minimum wage, poverty and inequality can be reduced by enabling workers to meet their basic needs and reducing income disparities.

I come from a low-income family. A family, like many others in the United States, which has lived paycheck to paycheck. My family and other families in my community have been trying to make ends meet by living on the minimum wage. We are proof that it doesn't work.

Keep Reading...Show less
blank paper
Allena Tapia

As an English Major in college, I have a lot of writing and especially creative writing pieces that I work on throughout the semester and sometimes, I'll find it hard to get the motivation to type a few pages and the thought process that goes behind it. These are eleven thoughts that I have as a writer while writing my stories.

Keep Reading...Show less
April Ludgate

Every college student knows and understands the struggle of forcing themselves to continue to care about school. Between the piles of homework, the hours of studying and the painfully long lectures, the desire to dropout is something that is constantly weighing on each and every one of us, but the glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel helps to keep us motivated. While we are somehow managing to stay enrolled and (semi) alert, that does not mean that our inner-demons aren't telling us otherwise, and who is better to explain inner-demons than the beloved April Ludgate herself? Because of her dark-spirit and lack of filter, April has successfully been able to describe the emotional roller-coaster that is college on at least 13 different occasions and here they are.

Keep Reading...Show less
college
Pinterest

For many undergraduates across the nation, the home stretch has begun. Only one more semester remains in our undergraduate career. Oh, the places we will go! For the majority of college seniors, this is simultaneously the best and worst year out of the past four and here’s why.

1. The classes you are taking are actually difficult.

A schedule full of easy pottery throwing and film courses is merely a myth on the average campus. With all of those prerequisites for the upper-level courses and the never-ending battle you fight each year during registration for limited class seats, senior year brings with it the ability to register for the final courses you need to fulfill your major. Yet, these are not the easy entry level courses. These are the comprehensive, end of major, capstone courses designed to apply the knowledge from all your previous courses, usually in the form of an extensive research paper or engaged learning project. The upside is you actually probably really enjoy these classes but alas there is no room for slackers here.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments