Sewol.- Cronyism, corruption to blame for disaster
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- Published on Sunday, 01 June 2014 16:19
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Cronyism, corruption to blame for disaster
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| Pyo Chang-won, right, chief of the Pyo Institute of Crime Science and former professor of the National Police Academy, speaks during a roundtable discussion about the Sewol ferry disaster at the office of Transparency International Korea (TI-Korea) in Seoul, May 1. Other participants are, from left, Hwang Pill-kyu, a lawyer at GongGam, a human rights law foundation; Kim Geo-sung, TI-Korea chairperson; and Song Chang-seog, chief manager of the Hope Institute, a civil organization promoting social innovation. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
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| Hwang Pill-kyu, a lawyer at GongGam |
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| Kim Geo-sung, chairperson of TI-Korea |
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| Song Chang-seog, chief manager of the Hope Institute |
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| Pyo Chang-won, chief of the Pyo Institute of Crime Science |
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By Kwon Ji-youn
Q: The Sewol disaster is proving to be more than just a safety accident. What was the cause of this tragedy? And from what perspective should we look at this disaster?
A: Kim Geo-sung The Sewol disaster is one that should never have occurred, and it has left the nation in shock. I live in Guri, where civic groups have set up a memorial altar for those who died in the disaster. Some visitors lie face down on the floor weeping when they visit. Another woman confessed that she has been taking antidepressants.
A: Pyo Chang-won This is nothing less than a "democide. " We need to look at the three aspects of the tragedy. First, we have to find the underlying cause of such a tragic accident. We'd better look back at the sinking of the Namyeong in 1970, the sinking of the Seohae Ferry in 1993, the collapse of Seongsu Bridge in 1994 and the collapse of Sampoong Department Store in 1995. I think the Sewol disaster is most similar to the Daegu subway fire disaster which claimed 192 passengers 11 years ago. Secondly, the entire chronology of the Sewol case needs to be scrutinized, from Chonghaejin Marine's purchase of the aged ferry to the reckless expansion of the cabins. For instance, required safety checks were not carried out prior to departure. The passengers had no idea what was wrong with the ship and put all their faith in the captain, the ship operator and the maritime authorities. Thirdly, there are the structural issues. Not a single passenger inside the ship was saved apparently because rescue operations were delayed, wasting about 50 minutes of the "golden time" critical to bringing passengers to safety. This is unacceptable. In this sense, the authorities should be held accountable for the disaster. That's why I called the disaster a democide.
A: Song Chang-seog If we scrutinize the entirety of this accident, from when the ferry capsized to when rescue operations kicked off, we can see that our entire country is riding on a ticking time bomb as far as safety issues are concerned. When a calamity occurs, there are usually more than 300 factors causing it. The Sewol tragedy is the consequence of many accumulated factors, such as long-term negligence of safety regulations, corrupt ties among all concerned parties and the bungled disaster prevention and rescue operations.
A: Hwang Pill-kyu It's not like we didn't know that the system was feeble and that the government was incompetent. But there had always been this belief that in such disasters, we would somehow make things better. But the Sewol disaster put the cards on the table. The government can talk about doing their best and taking responsibility but, in reality, it has terribly mishandled the case, and that has resulted in the disruption of social trust. The ferry accident has left untold pain and indelible scars not only on the families of the victims, mostly high school students, but also on the people. It is more tragic than any other disaster that has happened in the past.
Q: What do you think led to the disruption of social trust in the wake of the Sewol sinking?
A: Kim This is a disaster that has been caused by a lack of human values on the part of administrators and businessmen. Chonghaejin, if it had had its passengers' best interests at heart, should never have overloaded the ferry, nor should it have expanded its cabins. That's where the problems are rooted. All the paperwork that was done was paperwork done for the greedy manager of the company, not for the passengers. Excluding civilian divers from rescue operations at the beginning was a significant cause of failure. When the Coast Guard arrived on the scene, the first people they rescued were the captain and the crew members. It didn't matter whether or not they could see the students inside. They just rescued those on the upper deck without coming to the aid of the passengers trapped inside. All entities from the Coast Guard and the maritime authorities to the presidential office were busy trying to shirk responsibility, shifting it on to each others' shoulders. This led to the absence of a control tower critical to saving passengers, causing public outrage. People usually refer to the accident as a man-made disaster, but I think it is "government-made" disaster. The embedded problem is that our society has wrongly fostered materialism and "mammonism" that put human values and life on the backburner. It is not only a matter of weaknesses in the safety system, but also rampant corruption and cronyism and, ultimately, the loss of human values. Only building a system that can fulfill the role of a control tower will not solve all the problems. We need to look at the big picture to find fundamental solutions.
A: Pyo This tragedy has made it clear just how easily the National Assembly is swayed by interest groups. What's more, the government appoints senior officials based on their loyalty rather than their expertise. It's also questionable as to whether the judiciary has been playing its part in making sure the right verdicts are given. Chonghaejin, the operator of the Sewol, is under investigation for overloading, illegal loans and other irregularities. But it was never investigated until the accident took place. We also need to ask, "Have the media been doing their job well? Did they bring attention to these irregularities?" This has all stoked social distrust. Even President Park Geun-hye's visit to the memorial altar was called into question over her sincerity. Society is cruel. People think that the minority can be sacrificed for the majority. This mentality prompts dog-eat-dog competition and a winner-takes-all society. This is evident in the captain's escape. People have become selfish. They only care about themselves and their families. The Sewol disaster has only brought this to the surface.
A: Hwang I was in Jindo a week ago, and the situation is much worse than reported in the media. In the past, we have been able to work well in catastrophic situations, even in the absence of a system. Critical situations have always given way to opportunity. But in this case, we need to ask, "Why did it fall apart?" The public has expressed anger at experts who have been giving out advice. They ask, "Why now when it's already too late?" One thing I don't understand is why the family members of the victims were the first to point out what's wrong with the ongoing rescue operations. It's as though the press were merely publishing what they were told at briefings. It said that there were 500 divers engaging in the rescue operations, but only after the families rebutted these claims did they change the number to 50. In this situation, people's distrust has been amplified.
Q: What does the government need to do to restore public trust?
A: Kim The Sewol disaster was not a mere accident. It was a disaster waiting to happen, just like the many other disasters that have battered the nation. Consequently, we cannot pinpoint one or two causes. We can't be assured that this kind of disaster will not occur again even if we establish a separate agency or committee devoted solely to preventing such disasters, as President Park proposed. We need to look at it comprehensively. We need to look at the Sewol disaster as a turning point for across-the-board change and innovations to make our society a safer place.
A: Song We don't' know when and where the next disaster will happen. We need to organize and analyze everything about this disaster, from the causes to forthcoming countermeasures, so as to prevent similar tragedies from happening again. I realize the country is still trying to grapple with the situation, but this is just as important.
A: Hwang The problem is that social distrust is getting stronger as time goes by. Someone needs to take action to show that they truly intend on righting wrongs and moving forward. I remember a phrase written on a crisis and emergency risk communication guide, published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It read: "Be first, be right, be credible." Should something happen, someone needs to rush out there to be the first to help. Another phrase I remember is, "Do no harm. " We need to make sure we don't trouble the victims and their families any more. The entire process needs to be transparent, and this has to start today, especially with briefings and instructions. Even the President should be subject to investigation and Cheong Wa Dae needs to make transparent all its proceedings. Furthermore, an independent fact-finding mission should be set up to get to the bottom of the accident. In the case of the 9/11 attacks, a report was compiled that analyzed the disaster thoroughly and follow-ups came after. Apologies have been made, but none of them have had substance. This will only add to social distrust. Fact-finding and inquests need to take place, and preventative measures need to be taken.
Q: Cronyism is blamed for corruption between maritime safety regulators, bureaucrats and ship operators. Is there any effective way of breaking these corrupt ties?
A: Kim Many safety inspectors and regulators had once served as ranking officials at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. Basically, they're not working for the people. They're working to protect the interests of ship operators by taking advantage of their connection to the ministry. Of the 12 former chiefs of the Korean Register of Shipping, eight previously worked for the ministry or affiliated organizations as senior officials. Would ministry officials supervise the inspection body as they should when they are aware that they may end up there? Of course not. And the officials who were once their superiors are working there. This is an issue that needs to be looked at from a cultural perspective to create a cleaner and more transparent society. Furthermore, it is urgent to establish an independent anti-corruption watchdog. A comprehensive overview is needed to root out the corrupt system and better protect public interests.
A: Song In any department, there must be a checks-and-balances system. People say regulation gives birth to corruption. They tend to think that those who speak out against problems such as the overloading of the ferry may be subject to disadvantages in promotion or personnel matters. The Korea Shipping Association needs to oversee whether the crewmembers were trained according to the safety manual, and whether the captain was aware of his responsibility and code of ethics. Activists have often stressed the role of whistleblowers on the inside, but because there has never been any substantive change, whistleblowers will eventually give up. It's too difficult for them to break the power chain and the corrupt ties.
A: Pyo To be honest, I think the solution needs to begin with President Park. There are a select few who support Park no matter what she does, and the government acts in response to these people. This is only adding to social distrust. Park needs to take responsibility for the disaster, but in a sincere and heartfelt manner. She needs to run the risk of stepping down of her own accord if she fails to put in place a well-functioning disaster prevention and rescue system. She has to show the nation that she is doing her best to ensure safety of the people. Then whether she leaves office is another issue.
A: Song I worked as a civil servant for 15 years, and I've come to realize that there is a problem with the way personnel management is handled. Every two or three years, civil servants are transferred to new positions and so it's rare that they can accumulate expertise in a specific field. This is something in desperate need of change.
Q: What should the nation do to prevent maritime disasters?
A: Pyo I think revealing the truth about what actually happened should come first. We need to question what the President might have done wrong and what the prime minister or ministers might have done wrong. Once they start taking responsibility for their actions, countermeasures will follow. There are five things that must be addressed urgently. First, the government should eliminate cronyism and cut the corrupt ties between businesses, regulators and bureaucrats. Second, the National Assembly should pass a more comprehensive anti-corruption bill designed to prevent officials from taking bribes in return for business favors. Third, the administration must better protect whistleblowers so that they can contribute to fighting irregularities within their organizations. Then the government ought to reform its personnel management system to enable civil servants to serve the people and the nation better. Next is the establishment of an independent anti-corruption committee with strong investigative power to crack down on corruption. It is also urgent to enforce a punitive penalty system that will force violators to pay huge sums of compensation to victims of grave crimes, such as the negligence of safety rules as shown in the Sewol case.
A: Hwang I also think that one of the most urgent tasks is to lay bare the truth about what caused the ferry disaster. For this, all the involved parties including investigators, rescuers and officials should make a concerted effort. Another problem is that all officials act as though they do not have the authority to carry out action, especially during emergencies. They constantly tell reporters that they are waiting for approval from above. It seems no one is held accountable. I wish that they would at least do what they should do with a genuine sense of responsibility. But it is also imperative to make efforts to protect the surviving students from further trauma. Victims' families are in need of help but can't trust anyone. They need a board of experts who are willing to approach them with sincerity. I find it odd that the government uses donations as part of their compensation to the victims.
Q: What should the nation do to heal the trauma inflicted on the families of the victims in particular, and the people in general?
A: Kim The first thing the nation should do is wrap up rescue operations. And then we should focus on the victims and their families. It is necessary to create a pan-national consultative body comprised of people from all walks of life including teachers, lawyers, journalists, doctors, politicians, students and workers to discuss how to heal the wounds and rebuild our society. To be honest, I am skeptical about how this will be carried out, but there is no doubt it needs to happen. Pope Francis was quoted as saying that he hopes the ferry accident will present a chance for Koreans to become ethically and spiritually upgraded, and I think this is insightful. This disaster shouldn't end with consequences. We should try to find a viable solution for a society that has become a slave to money. I hope Korea will be reborn as a new society that puts human values and life before money, greed and selfishness.
A: Song I call on President Park to apologize for the tragedy more sincerely and present a road map to heal the wounds of the families of the victims and relieve the people of the shock. She also must set in motion a new governance system to ensure the safety of the people and the prevention of disasters. It may take a few years, and by the time she completes this, her term may be over. She should no longer depend on the inner circle. Instead, she needs an open up the forum to discuss within a broader spectrum of society how to reform the safety system and launch a healing program for surviving students and bereaved families.
A: Pyo The entire nation should serve as a healing community. The people need to come together to help the families of the victims heal. The focus needs to be on them. Without healing, nothing can be resolved, but regrettably the government does not realize this. I've gotten the impression that officials are focusing on protecting President Park and molding public sentiment. If this continues, disasters like this will only repeat. But I don't want to see the public or opposition politicians capitalize on the disaster to kick President Park out. This won't help the process at all. The families of the victims need to have access to all the information regarding the disaster as well as any preventative measures that are being put in place. They should be allowed to participate in the process and they need effective treatment to overcome the wounds and trauma so that they can go on living.
A: Hwang Now, treatment and rehabilitation are crucial. We need to protect the survivors, the victims' families and the students of Danwon High School in Ansan, where many of the victims attended, in the same way Dumbledore's spell protected Hogwarts in the Harry Potter series.
A: Pyo Creating a safety manual is important. But it needs to come from the heart. Officials need to forget about their bosses and the President and focus on their jobs. So many people have lost children and family members in this disaster. It is not the time to be worrying about what one's boss thinks, organization thinks, or president thinks. It shouldn't be about President Park's approval ratings. Officials shouldn't be worrying about appointment or promotion. They should concentrate on reviving standards and empathy in society.