South Korea ferry licensed on false documents

A South Korean ferry that sunk in April leading to the death of at least 292 people had been licensed through false documents, South Korean investigators say.

The report by the South Korean government’s Audit and Inspection Board, published on July 8, revealed that the sinking disaster was “man-made” and that the ship had received its license from the Korean Register of Shipping on the basis of fake documents.

The board said that the tragedy had occurred because the operators of the sunken ferry, which was called Sewol, prioritized profit over the safety of the passengers, adding that a vast amount of cargo, more than double the ferry’s capacity limit, and the failure to tie it down properly were partly responsible for the capsizing of the ship.

It also said it is planning to reprimand officials from the Korean Register of Shipping, the Maritime Ministry and the Korea Shipping Association, which were found to have failed to observe safety protocols on the ferry.

The report was also critical of the South Korean Coast Guard, saying it did not act properly when the ship contacted it, adding that the rescue orders issued during the operation were not adequate.

Sewol capsized off South Korea’s southern coast on April 16 while carrying 475 people, out of which 325 were high school students, just south of the capital, Seoul. The ferry’s captain, Lee Joon-seok, and three of his crew members, who survived the incident, face murder charges while other crew members have been indicted on charges of abandonment.

The South Korean government has faced widespread disapproval for its handling of the disaster and the rescue effort.