The family members of those still missing from April’s deadly ferry disaster have voted against recovering the ship and asked the government to continue its search operation, their legal representative said Monday.
Ten passengers remain unaccounted for from the sinking of the ferry off the country’s southwest coast, which claimed the lives of
294 people, mostly high school students on a school excursion.
Bae Ui-cheol, the lawyer representing the families, said the nine families on Sunday voted 5-4 against recovering the 6,825-ton vessel that capsized and sank in waters off this southwestern port.
A two-thirds vote was required to push for a recovery.
Instead, the families asked the government to map out a search plan for November, he said.
“Most families did not understand the full consequences of recovering the vessel,” Bae said. “The government should explain it to them to facilitate an informed discussion.”
The outcome of the vote was made public hours after a private diving company announced its decision to pull out of the joint rescue operation with the government and military after three months, citing “various circumstances.”
The company said it plans to notify the government and the Coast Guard of its decision in due time but refused to elaborate on reasons.
The company had drawn the ire of family members last month for failing to meet the deadline of removing an obstacle in the back of the ship.
In Seoul, representatives from civic groups gathered at Gwanghwamun Square in the center of the city to urge the ruling and opposition parties to pass by the end of this month a special bill aimed at establishing an independent probe into the disaster.
The groups said they would hold a massive protest rally on Saturday, the 200th day since the deadly disaster, if the parties pass a bill that would “realistically fail to uncover the truth” behind the ferry’s sinking. (Yonhap)
