Seoul has granted compensation to the 46 survivors of Sewol disaster and families of its victims.
South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced on 10 July that 96 Sewol-related claims, including for cargo loss and losses suffered by fishermen, had been approved.
The ferry capsized during a routine Incheon-Jeju trip on 16 April 2014, leaving 304 of 476 crew and passengers dead or missing.
When Sewol capsized, the ro-ro ferry was carrying 325 pupils from Danwon High School, of whom only 75 survived.
The families of 19 of the dead students have been granted compensation of KRW8.8 billion (USD7.7 million).
A total of 38 claims relating to cargo loss were approved, including KRW300 million for vehicles stowed on Sewol and KRW1.57 billion for other cargos.
Thirty-seven claims relating to losses suffered by fishermen were also settled at KRW20 million.
Two survivors were also awarded KRW100 million in damages.
The settlement of the damages now means that 46 of the 102 applicants have had their claims approved.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries noted that the number of Sewol-related claims have been increasing rapidly after 10 June, ahead of the 28 September deadline. To speed up the settlements, the ministry plans to operate an on-site consultation desk at the Small Business Training Institute in Ansan, where most of Sewol’s passengers came from. It is hoped that this will assist potential applicants in filing their claims.
This post was sourced from IHS Maritime 360: View the original article here.
