Coast Guard officers apply for early retirement
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- Published on Sunday, 25 May 2014 05:22
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Coast Guard officers apply for early retirement
By Chung Hyun-chae
The Korea Time
An increasing number of Coast Guard officers have submitted applications for early retirement since the April 16 sinking of the ferry Sewol.
This trend is triggering suggestions that public criticism of the Coast Guard for its poor initial response to the ferry disaster is hurting their self-esteem.
The government's plan to dismantle the agency is also prompting more officers to quit.
According to the agency, a total of 44 officers applied for early retirement as of May this year. This is compared with 47 for the whole of last year.
The Coast Guard accepts voluntary retirements every other month and the latest applications were made from May 1 to May 15. During this period, 26 officers applied for early retirement, which is nearly triple the same period last year.
The Coast Guard is being criticized for having almost doubled its manpower and budget during the past 10 years but not equipping itself with commensurate expertise and internal capacity.
Its poor handling of the ferry disaster drew immense public criticism. This overshadowed its previous accomplishments of preventing illegal fishing by Chinese fishermen in Korean waters and handling oil spills.
"Given that applying for early retirement is only permitted for those who have worked for the Coast Guard for more than 20 years, applicants have devoted themselves to the organization for decades. They might suffer from low self-esteem and also be worried about their positions," said an officer who asked not to be identified.
After President Park Geun-hye unveiled a plan to dismantle the Coast Guard and transfer its rescue and maritime security division to a newly-established disaster-control agency, some officers reportedly made telephone inquiries about the rolling application system.
The rolling voluntary retirement system allows officers to resign on a day he or she wants.
"The officers generally don't make these kinds of inquires because they can apply for retirement as many as six times a year," said a Coast Guard officer.
Meanwhile, Coast Guard chief Kim Suk-kyoon said that he will humbly accept the President's decision, triggering the displeasure of junior officers. Kim said he will take responsibility after the ongoing rescue and salvage operations are completed.
This trend is triggering suggestions that public criticism of the Coast Guard for its poor initial response to the ferry disaster is hurting their self-esteem.
The government's plan to dismantle the agency is also prompting more officers to quit.
According to the agency, a total of 44 officers applied for early retirement as of May this year. This is compared with 47 for the whole of last year.
The Coast Guard accepts voluntary retirements every other month and the latest applications were made from May 1 to May 15. During this period, 26 officers applied for early retirement, which is nearly triple the same period last year.
The Coast Guard is being criticized for having almost doubled its manpower and budget during the past 10 years but not equipping itself with commensurate expertise and internal capacity.
Its poor handling of the ferry disaster drew immense public criticism. This overshadowed its previous accomplishments of preventing illegal fishing by Chinese fishermen in Korean waters and handling oil spills.
"Given that applying for early retirement is only permitted for those who have worked for the Coast Guard for more than 20 years, applicants have devoted themselves to the organization for decades. They might suffer from low self-esteem and also be worried about their positions," said an officer who asked not to be identified.
After President Park Geun-hye unveiled a plan to dismantle the Coast Guard and transfer its rescue and maritime security division to a newly-established disaster-control agency, some officers reportedly made telephone inquiries about the rolling application system.
The rolling voluntary retirement system allows officers to resign on a day he or she wants.
"The officers generally don't make these kinds of inquires because they can apply for retirement as many as six times a year," said a Coast Guard officer.
Meanwhile, Coast Guard chief Kim Suk-kyoon said that he will humbly accept the President's decision, triggering the displeasure of junior officers. Kim said he will take responsibility after the ongoing rescue and salvage operations are completed.