President Park Geun-hye received reports at the time of the Sewol’s sinking that most passengers were likely trapped on the ship, an opposition lawmaker revealed Thursday, raising more questions about the government’s response.
On April 16, the ferry sank off the coast of Jindo Island, South Jeolla Province, killing more than 300 people. The Coast Guard and other concerned government agencies have been under fire since then for failing to adequately respond.
According to New Politics Alliance for Democracy Rep. Lee Choon-suak, the president was informed sometime between 10:52 and 11:30 a.m. that most of the passengers were still on the ship.
The vessel had effectively sunk by 11:18 a.m.
According to the information Lee obtained from the Board of Audit and Inspection, the Coast Guard informed the presidential National Security Office that, with the exception of those who were in the water, most of the passengers were likely to be inside at 10:52 a.m. The National Security Office then relayed the information to the president. The president was informed between then and 11:30 a.m., the records show.
The presidential office has not revealed any information regarding the orders the president issued after being briefed on the situation. It has since been revealed that the president continued to receive reports on paper and over the phone for some time after being briefed on the rescue situation.
The details of the president’s actions and the degree to which she was informed of the situation remain unclear, with Cheong Wa Dae having provided only a short report to the Board of Audit and Inspection.
The presidential office provided the state auditor only with a two-page report, prompting opposition lawmakers to accuse Cheong Wa Dae of hiding the facts.
The information obtained from the Board of Audit and Inspection also shows that the president was misinformed that 370 people had been rescued at about 1 p.m. She was then given the correct information at 2:30 p.m.
“No actions were taken until 5:15 p.m. (when the president) visited the response center. As the answers from the National Security Office and the (presidential) secretariat cannot be trusted, Cheong Wa Dae needs to be audited,” Lee said.
By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)
