Supreme Court overturns convictions of seamen in 2007 oil spill case

SEOUL, April 23 (Yonhap) -- The Supreme Court on Thursday overturned jail terms
and fines handed down by a high court to officials at Samsung Heavy Industries
Co. and a Hong Kong-based shipping company for causing the worst-ever oil spill
in South Korea's history.
On Dec. 7, 2007, around 12,000 tons of crude oil spilled into the west sea
following a collision between an oil tanker owned by the Hong Kong-registered
Hebei Spirit Shipping Co. and a barge owned by Samsung Heavy Industries in waters
off Taean County, South Chungcheong Province, blackening beaches and fish farms
along the west coast. A barge carrying a crane separated from its two tugboats
and collided with the tanker.
In December 2008, a high court ruled that both Samsung Heavy Industries and Hebei
Spirit be held responsible for the damages. Each company were fined 30 million
won (US$22,300), while some of their employees were sentenced to imprisonment.
The Supreme Court in Seoul overturned the convictions on the 53-year-old captain
of the Samsung Heavy barge and the 37-year-old captain of Hebei Spirit oil tanker
and sent the cases back to the Daejeon District Court.
The two captains had been given 30-month and 18-month jail terms, respectively,
and were also fined 2 million won and 10 million won, respectively. Jail
sentences and fines on two other Samsung officials and a Hebei crew were also
repealed.
The Supreme Court, however, affirmed the 30-million-won fines handed out to both
companies.
The initial ruling had caused some controversy. The International Transport
Workers' Federation publicly criticized the verdict saying the Hebei oil tanker
was at anchor and virtually unable to avoid the collision.
Currently a separate civil compensation suit between Taean residents and Samsung
Heavy is still underway. Last month, a local court decided to limit the possible
compensation to 5.6 billion won in the suit filed by some 7,500 fishermen in the
region.
In June of 2008, the International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds estimated the
damages from the Taean spill may reach up to 573.5 billion won from a decrease in
tourists and a slowing down of the fishing industry.
odissy@yna.co.kr
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