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Malfunctioning steering system, poor stability caused Sewol ferry disaster, new government probe found

The sinking of the 'Sewol' was caused by internal structural failures, including a malfunctioning steering system and poor stability, according to recently revealed findings from government investigations ahead of the 11th anniversary of the tragedy. The Mokpo branch of the Korea Maritime Safety Tribunal said on April 14, 2025, that a special panel issued its conclusion on the tragedy in November last year — 10 years and 7 months after the ferry sank on April 16, 2014. While court rulings apply to general legal cases, maritime accidents in Korea are subject to the tribunal’s decisions. The tribunal’s judgment document functions similarly to a court verdict. The panel fully ruled out the theory that external factors, such as a collision, caused the ferry to sink, according to the tribunal’s findings: “Based on findings following the vessel's salvage and inspection, we did not confirm any evidence of external forces that could have caused an abrupt turn, such as hull damage. As there was no credible evidence of external impact, we did not consider that theory in our determination.” Instead, the panel found that the abrupt turn made by the ferry was not due to human error by the helmsman but rather a mechanical failure in the ship's steering system. The panel also took the arguments from a 2018 investigation that claimed the solenoid valve in Pump No. 2 of the steering gear was stuck and led the steering system to malfunction. At the time of the accident, the ship’s stability was already severely compromised. This was due to extensive structural modifications made to increase the passenger capacity, which raised the ship’s center of gravity. Although vessels with weakened stability must carry less cargo, the 'Sewol' was found to have been carrying nearly twice the amount allowed in its stability calculations — 2,021 tons, instead of the permitted 1,077 tons. To make matters worse, the cargo had not been properly secured. The unfastened cargo made the ferry severely tilt while making a turn. Water then flooded through the openings in the outer hull, resulting in the loss of stability, according to the panel’s conclusion. Out of the 476 people on board, 304 were killed or went missing in the disaster. The tribunal attributed the scale of the human toll to the crew's failure to take active rescue measures.

South Korea mourned the 10th anniversary of sinking

South Korea mourned the 10th anniversary of sinking of thge 'Sewol' on April 16, 2024, the country's worst-ever maritime disaster, when 304 people died. The disaster and botched rescue efforts dealt a crushing blow to then-president Park Geun-hye, who was eventually impeached in 2017, and the tragedy remains divisive and politically sensitive in South Korea still. A Coast Guard vessel took some of the victims' families to the site of the sinking early on April 16 for a special ceremony. The site marked by a yellow buoy. Te families called out the names of the deceased and threw flowers into the water, followed by a moment of silence. Yellow ribbon dedications are displayed on the main gates at a port in Mokpo, South Jeolla Province, near to where the salvaged ferry stands President Yoon Suk Yeol, whose party was dealt a crushing defeat in parliamentary elections last week, offered his condolences to the families of victims at a cabinet meeting: "Even though 10 years have passed, the events of Apr 16, 2014, remain vivid in my memory. I pray for the repose of the unfortunate victims and once again extend my deepest condolences to the bereaved families." Report with photos: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/south-korea-mourns-10th-anniversary-jeju-sewol-ferry-disaster-4268371

Supreme court cleared nine members of Coast Guard of negligence

The Supreme Court on Nov 2, 2023, cleared nine members of the South Korean Coast Guard leadership of negligence in the rescue of the people aboard the 'Sewol'. The officials, including Kim Suk-kyoon, the former head of the organization, were sent to court in 2020 for failing to take appropriate action at the start of the accident. During the trial, the prosecution claimed that they should have encouraged the passengers to get out of the ship, but they failed in their duty. As for the accused, they offered their apologies and regrets, but declared that their behaviour did not constitute a crime. The country's highest court confirmed that the first judgments did not contain any errors in the interpretation of the laws. The court of first instance pronounced an acquittal. According to it, the Coastguard could not have prevented the tragedy and were not informed that the captain and crew members had left the ferry first. In February 2022, in the second instance, they were again found not guilty, for lack of proof of their professional misconduct. Kim Mun-hong, former leader of the Mokpo Coastguard, charged with instigating the creation of false official documents concerning an evacuation order, was sentenced to 18 months in prison.