A decade after Sewol disaster, safety awareness at sea remains a problem

Social Affairs

Published: 18 Apr. 2024, 16:09 Updated: 18 Apr. 2024, 18:34

A decade after Sewol disaster, safety awareness at sea remains a problem

A Mokpo Coast Guard officer explains to the captain of a ship carrying large engines why his vessel was being searched on April 11.

Choi Jae-ok, the captain of a Mokpo Coast Guard patrol vessel, saw a ship anchored in the waters off Mokpo, South Jeolla, on April 11. Promptly, Choi directed 11 Coast Guard officers to inspect the vessel.

The JoongAng Ilbo followed the officers to the 1,297-tonne vessel, which was loaded with large engines destined for delivery to a shipyard the next day. The 63-year-old captain of the ship turned out to have been charged with illegally installing a generator on March 27. The illegal item was still there, filling the football pitch-sized vessel with its roar.

A decade has passed since the Sewol ferry sinking, but man-made disasters remain a problem.

Data from the Safety Ministry on Monday demonstrates that since the Sewol ferry tragedy, there have been 171 social disasters resulting in 646 deaths. Social disasters encompass any catastrophic man-made events that cause significant disruption to a society.

Social disasters include a 2020 fire at a warehouse construction site in Icheon, Seoul, resulting in 38 fatalities, and the 2023 tunnel flood in Osong, North Chungcheong, killing 14 people.

Poorly functioning emergency exits and improper safety measures due to cost-cutting were behind these disasters.

The sinking of the trawler Oryong, just seven months after the Sewol ferry tragedy, also involved human errors. The fishing vessel was fishing for pollock in the Bering Sea off the coast of Russia when it sank on Dec. 1, 2014, leaving 53 of the 60 crew members killed or missing.

The Busan Maritime Safety and Security Department and prosecutors confirmed that the ship did not have the required number of crew members, and some key personnel, including the captain, were unqualified to operate the vessel. The vessel was also unbalanced because too much fish was stored in the stern.

Beginning March 1, the Mokpo Coast Guard has been conducting a special inquiry into vessels that are overloaded, operated by individuals under the influence of alcohol, or have been illegally constructed or modified. The effort extends to the coast of Jindo, South Jeolla, where the 2014 Sewol ferry tragedy occurred.

Choi Jae-ok, captain of a Mokpo Coast Guard patrol vessel, instructs the inspection squad to search a vessel off the coast of Mokpo on April 11.

"We closely monitor cargo ships heading to construction sites located along the coastline of Mokpo as the ships frequently run into accidents," said Officer Choi, who leads the special patrols.

Once Choi returned to his vessel, he pointed to another 4,000-tonne cargo ship sailing offshore.

"That cargo ship has been caught for overloading before," Choi said.

Cargo ships transporting vehicles often illegally carry truck owners who are supposed to take separate passenger vessels.

Last February, when a 5,900-tonne cargo ship collided with a 9,000-tonne LNG carrier off the coast of Wando, South Jeolla, 11 of 77 people rescued were not supposed to be onboard.

The Safety Ministry data further indicates that from 2014 to 2022, 20 maritime accidents were classified as social disasters, including the sinking of the Stellar Daisy in the South Atlantic.

The Stellar Daisy sank on March 31, 2017 in the South Atlantic Ocean near Uruguay [Committee for Familes of Stella Daisy Missing Persons]

The Stellar Daisy, carrying 260,000 tons of iron ore, sank in South Atlantic waters on March 31, 2017, leaving 22 of 24 crew members missing. According to the state Maritime Safety Tribunal, the 25-year-old ship had already been recommended for retirement, and several parts were reportedly corroded.

Despite crew concerns, the bulk carrier operator Polaris Shipping let the 312-meter-long vessel set sail. The court sentenced the operator's CEO to three years in prison for maintenance neglect, stating that "the company prioritized profit over safety."

Some critics argue that the authorities focus solely on assigning blame and reforming laws, neglecting the fundamental solutions to prevent the recurrence of disastrous events. Critics warn that social disasters and casualties will persist without heightened safety awareness.

Sang Jeong-man, head of the Korea Institute of Disaster and Safety, suggested that the nation approach disasters proactively, citing the United States as an example.

"The United States was able to minimize casualties in the recent Baltimore bridge collapse and similar disasters due to their proactive responses," Sang highlighted.