Righting Journalistic Wrongs
Media errors were abundant in the days after the Sewol sank. But in Korea, an unusual solution was found. How a special commission required corrections to thousands of stories.
The Response of the Blue House
A) The response of the Blue House The Yoo Byung-eun probe and arrest operation were exploited as a trump card by the Blue House to deflect government accountability for the Sewol Ferry accident and shift the onus of guilt on the shipowner. The Blue House described the Sewol Ferry disaster as a “National disaster that […]
Social Disasters Commission Report
A bi-partisan commission created to investigate the causes of the Sewol sinking (as well as a second previous tragedy) released its findings in September of 2022, in Korean. It was called The Social Disasters Commission and it was started under the administration of President Moon Jae-in and completed early in the term of President Yoon […]
Unlawful intervention by intelligence agencies in the arrest operation of Yoo Byung-eun
6) Unlawful intervention by intelligence agencies in the arrest operation of Yoo Byung-eun While investigating the speculations that intelligence agencies like the National Intelligence Service had also intervened in the Sewol Ferry disaster, the committee confirmed that intelligence agencies such as the National Intelligence Service and the Defense Security Command had illegally aided in the […]
Sewol Documentaries
The Sewol ferry sinking is the focus of several documentaries recounting the awful morning of the capsize, and theorizing about what happened.
Primary Resources
A convenient repository of articles, essays, summaries of investigations, and other factual materials related to the sinking of the Sewol ferry.
Global Media Coverage
The Sewol sinking garnered extensive media coverage around the world. Eventually, as with coverage in Korea, it shifted from focusing on the incident itself to stories about Yoo Byung-eun. But unlike the Korean media, the media in the West did not correct coverage that had initially been inaccurate, because their reporters had moved on.
Scapegoating
The Park Administration identified the Yoo Byung-eun family as the main culprit of the Sewol disaster soon after the accident. The government inappropriately used intelligence agencies to control and shape public opinion to turn the arrows of criticism away from them.
Abuse of Power
The Park Administration used South Korea’s Defense Security Command (DSC) or military intelligence service to spy, wiretap, surveil, and intimidate the Sewol victims’ families, members of the Yoo family (who were used as scapegoats for the ferry sinking), and members of the Evangelical Baptist Church. The revelation of such abuse of power led to the disbandment of the DSC.
The Victims’ Families
The families of the Sewol victims were targeted by the Korean government after they held candlelight vigils and protests to demand answers. They also underwent surveillance and intimidation by the Defense Security Command (South Korea’s military intelligence service), egregious violations of their civil rights.