U.S. Also Responsible for Guam Crash

In a suit filed by the families of victims of the 1997 Korean Air crash in Guam, the judge has ruled that the United States government and the air control company at the Guam airport, in addition to Korean Air, are legally responsible for the crash. The three have reportedly reached an agreement on how much each would have to contribute to the compensation package.

The ruling was released to the public through a letter sent to Judge Harry L. Hupp of the Multi-District Litigation Panel from the United States Justice Department, and Judge Hupp's statement to the plaintiffs and defendants granting change of venue.

Judge Hupp said in the statement released on August 10 that "the three defendants agreed among themselves to share liability in all cases." He added that the agreement was being finalized for submission to the court.

He further noted that since the defendants' responsibilities have been uncovered, the suit estimating the liabilities would be transferred to Guam and he would dispatch federal judges.

According to the letter submitted to Judge Hupp from the Justice Department, Korean Air will be responsible for two-thirds of the compensation package. For the Korean victims, Korean Air will pay $80 million, the air control company $4 million and the United States government the rest.

Ha Jong-sun, the lawyer representing the Korean victims, said the trial was about half-way through. He added, "the most contentious issue once the trial resumes in Guam will be whether the compensation package will be calculated based on U.S. or Korean law."

by Choi Hyun-chul