South Korea: safety regulation still lagging 100 days after ferry disaster

“Wait a second, I just saw this in the back, it’s a life vest made in 1994. This is the situation on the ship. Power is cut off and we really don’t know what to do. The coastal police are apparently almost here, and I want to live.”

Made on a cell phone by a student victim whose desire to live didn’t stop him from losing his life, a previously unreleased recording has illustrated the stark reality of the poor safety onboard the Sewol, a ferry that sunk off the coast of southwest Korea on 16 April 2014.

This Thursday, 24 July 2014, marks the 100th day anniversary of the disaster where some 294 people died – 10 bodies are still unaccounted for.

But given a discernible lack of progress in the investigation of the accident’s cause and the rescue operation’s failures, the families of the victims have been protesting in front of the country’s National Assembly since 12 July to demand the speedy passing of a legislation that would allow a special committee to carry out a full assessment and indict those found responsible.

The final day of the National Assembly’s regular summer session on 17 July failed to see the passage of the much debated legislation.

At the heart of the disagreement is the ruling Saenuri Party’s refusal to heed the families’ request and grant the committee full investigative authority including the power to seize evidence and arrest suspects.

Coupled with the mysterious death of Yoo Byung-eun, the fugitive boss of the company that operated the Sewol, the stalled legislation has received criticism as a sign of the state’s inability to seriously tackle problems in public and occupational safety.

Korea is beset by industrial accidents. According to a study conducted by the state statistics agency (KOSIS), in 2008 Korea had an industrial fatality rate of 18.0 per 100,000 persons, higher than those of Russia (10.9) and Mexico (10.0).

That number tapered only slightly in 2009 (15.7) and 2010 (15.5).

By the government’s own admission 2,422 Koreans died from industrial accidents in 2010 alone, and the 2013 figure of 1,929 deaths, while a decrease, still accorded the country the dubious honor of having the highest rate of worker fatalities among OECD member states.

Under President Park Geun-hye’s watch, accidents large and small have taken place with an alarming frequency. Notably on 31 August 2013 three trains collided in the southeastern hub of Daegu, injuring more than 20 people.

On 17 February 2014 the roof of a resort in the town of Kyungju collapsed from the weight of accumulated snow, killing 10 and injuring 125, mostly university students on a school retreat.

Meanwhile, the construction of a 555 metre-tall tower by the Lotte Group in southeastern Seoul has resulted since last year in two deaths and five injuries as well as a small fire and falling debris onto the nearby area.

The company has also been accused of causing sinkholes in the neighborhood with the building’s excessive weight.

On the manufacturing front, Hyundai Heavy Industries, the world’s largest shipbuilder, reported eight deaths and four injuries at its work sites in March and April of this year alone.

Hyundai Steel, a sister company to Hyundai Heavy Industries, saw eight die and another eight injured last year.

 

Cost-cutting

Experts argue that to improve public and occupational safety the state must first address the underlying problem of cost-cutting by industries.

But for Jun Hyoung-Bae, professor of law at Kangwon University and a specialist in occupational safety and labour rights, the problem is deeply rooted: “Korea’s industrial sector is heavily dependent on manufacturing and construction, which are prone to accidents to begin with.

“Second, to remain competitive, Korean companies cut costs associated with production so that it can make similar products compared to those made overseas but at a much lower cost and therefore at a lower price. The idea is that if they followed every safety regulation they wouldn’t be able to compete.”

The subway system is another area where excessive cost-cutting in safety enforcement and hiring has been blamed for causing accidents. This spring Seoul alone has seen three subway accidents, with the worst case, on the heavily trafficked Line 2, leading to 238 injuries.

The Seoul Subway Labor Union (SSLU) contends that the Sewol sinking has not brought about any meaningful change in the management’s attitude toward safety issues.

In a public statement, the SSLU noted: “While turning a blind eye to deficient manpower on the ground, [the management] has simply sent a pile of documents ordering inspection. There is no sign that the system of operation that emphasises performance and results over safety inspection will ever be touched.”

Various accidents have mounted while the Sewol legislation stalls.

On 17 July a fire broke out on the Busan city subway network, forcing some 500 passengers to evacuate and halting operation for 40 minutes.

That same day, a helicopter carrying five firemen on the way back from the ongoing Sewol search operation crashed in a densely populated area of Gwangju, killing all five onboard.