ID :
361959
Wed, 04/01/2015 - 10:35
Auther :

Gov't begins compensation process for victims of ferry sinking

SEJONG, April 1 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government said Wednesday that it will soon begin offering compensation to victims of last year's tragic ferry sinking, with mixed views on the handling of the disaster remaining a thorny issue in the country. Starting Wednesday, the government will begin receiving requests for compensation from bereaved families of those killed in the sinking of the passenger ship Sewol and 157 survivors, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. The beginning of the process, however, comes nearly one year after the Sewol sank on April 16 while en route to the southern resort island of Jeju. The accident left 304 people killed, mostly high school students on a school excursion, marking one of the worst and most tragic accidents in the country's history. The belated start of the compensation process was partly attributed to a prolonged search for missing passengers that ended Nov. 11 with nine still not found. They are included in the number of people killed. Last week, family members of the victims called on the government to decide on the recovery of the submerged ship before the first anniversary of the sinking. The government has yet to announce whether it will actually push ahead with its plan to salvage the sunken ship. A ministry official earlier said a study on how and when the ferry should be lifted from the ocean was still underway. The government compensation for each student is expected to reach about 420 million won ($378,000) and 760 million won for each of their teachers, who apparently stayed behind to tend to their pupils. Compensation for others, including children and crew members, will vary, depending on their age, job and expected income, the ministry said. The families of the victims are also expected to receive over 200 million won each from public donations that have amounted to over 128.8 billion won as of March 17, according to the ministry. The families of each student from Danwon High School will also receive an additional 100 million won in insurance payments. Those who survived the tragic accident will also be offered government compensation for their injuries and loss of income. However, 15 crew members of the ship who have been convicted of abandoning the ship without aiding their passengers will be completely excluded from any compensation. The 15 convicted crew members have been handed down prison terms ranging from five to 30 years while the ship's 68-year-old captain Lee Joon-seok has been sentenced to 36 years in prison. bdk@yna.co.kr (END)

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