In tears, Park says sorry for disaster
Print Edition
WITH tears rolling down her cheeks, South Korean President Park Geun-hye formally apologized for a ferry disaster that killed about 300 people, mostly school children, and said she would dismantle the coast guard for failing in its duties.
Park has been hit hard by an angry nationwide outcry over the government’s response to South Korea’s worst civilian maritime disaster in 20 years and the seemingly slow and ineffective rescue operation.
“I apologize to the nation for the pain and suffering that everyone felt, as the president who should have been responsible for the safety and lives of the people,” Park said yesterday in a televised national address, her first since the Sewol capsized and sank.
At least 286 people on board the Sewol were killed and 18 remain missing. Only 172 people were rescued.
Park vowed sweeping reforms to improve oversight, as well as tough punishment for bureaucrats and businesses whose negligence endangers public safety.
“A 20-year-old vessel was bought and refurbished to add excessive capacity, then it was loaded with much more cargo than allowed with a false reporting on weight, but not a single person in the position to supervise stopped any of it,” Park said.
“Had there been an immediate and proactive rescue operation after the accident, we would have been able to reduce the casualties,” Park said.
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