by REERA YOO
The National Assembly passed three bills aimed at addressing issues raised by April’s Sewol ferry disaster at a plenary session on Friday, reported Yonhap.
Last week, South Korea’s two opposing political parties reached an agreement on the bills after months of debate. The Sewol ferry disaster has become a major political issue as many of the victims’ families have held protests over the last several months, demanding the South Korean government to thoroughly investigate the cause of the tragedy and criticizing its poor emergency response.
According to Yonhap, more than 150 victims’ family members were present inside the main hall of the National Assembly building as the three bills were passed.
The newly passed special Sewol law will enable the appointment of an independent counsel and a fact-finding committee to further investigate the developments that led to the ferry sinking, which killed over 300 passengers, most of whom were high school students.
The National Assembly also revised the Government Organization Act, which calls for the dismantlement of the Coast Guard and the National Emergency Management Agency. Under the revised law, a new agency will be installed under the prime minister’s office to improve emergency responses and preparedness. A new deputy prime minister will also be appointed to oversee safety functions, according to the Korea Herald.
The final bill passed by parliament was the s0-called Yoo Byung-eun law, named after the ferry’s late owner. The new law will grant authorities the power to confiscate unlawfully gained assets of those deemed responsible for people’s deaths. The bill was initially proposed when current laws made it impossible for authorities to retrieve the illegally gained wealth of Yoo, who had distributed it to his family members.
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Photo courtesy of Yonhap.
