Regarding the suspicion that the former Armed Forces Military Command or the National Intelligence Service inspected the families of the Sewol ferry, the prosecution concluded that it was not charged after a long investigation.
In addition, the suspicion was not found in connection with the suspicion of the operation of the Sewol ferry track and the suspicion that the coast guard transferred the drowned student Im Mo-gun to a ship rather than a helicopter and abandoned the rescue on the day of the disaster.
The Sewol ferry disaster special investigation team (Director Gwan-hyuk Lim, Seoul High Prosecutor's Office) announced the results of the investigation for the past one year and two months, and completed the special group activities today (19th).
The special team handed over 11 maritime police commanders, including former Maritime Police Commissioner Kim Seok-gyun, to trial in February last year on charges of inflicting large-scale human damage by failing to give instructions necessary for the rescue of passengers to rescue personnel dispatched to the accident site. .
However, the Special Forces decided that it could not hold the officers responsible for the suspicion that the coast guard at the time did not promptly rescue Im military by helicopter.
In connection with the suspicion of interfering with the investigation of the 4/16 Sewol ferry disaster special investigation committee (Special Control Committee), the special group abused nine people, including former Blue House Secretary Lee Byung-ki, former policy coordinator Hyun Jeong-taek, and former political affairs chief Hyun Ki-hwan in May last year I was charged with imprisonment for obstructing the exercise of rights.
However, there was no charge in the case in which former President Park Geun-hye, former president Kim Ki-chun, and officials of the Kim Ki-chun were accused of inspecting the family of the Sewol ferry.
The special group confirmed that the intelligence agency has prepared a trend report on the bereaved family, but said that it has not confirmed specific and realistic violations of rights such as follow-up, wiretapping, and hacking.
In addition, it was acknowledged that former President Park Geun-hye or former secretary general Kim Ki-chun received a report on the trend of the surviving family from a security officer, but said that it was not confirmed that the Blue House or the Ministry of Defense ordered an inspection or received a related report.
The special team also investigated the suspicion of the operation of the Sewol closed circuit (CC) TV's DVR (recording device that stores CCTV images), but decided to hand over the related records to the special prosecution as the special investigation was scheduled.
The suspicion of the operation of the Sewol ferry was also submitted and analyzed, but the operation was not confirmed.
The special team also looked at various suspicions raised by the families of the Sewol ferry, such as external pressure in the investigation by the Prosecutors' Office of the Ministry of Justice and the suspicion of external pressure by the auditor of the Blue House, but said it did not find any suspicions.
Director Lim Kwan-hyuk said, "The investigation team did its best to thoroughly check the facts of the various suspicions raised," and said, "We express our deep condolences to the victims of the Sewol ferry disaster."
The Sewol ferry disaster special investigation team was established in November 2019 under the direction of Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol as a public petition by the Victims Family Council to re-investigate various suspicions surrounding the disaster.