President Park Geun-hye delivered a state address to the nation on May 19, the 34th day after the tragic sinking of the Sewol ferry. In the statement, released during a ceremony in the Chunchugwan, the press center at Cheong Wa Dae, the president repeatedly said that she would strongly carry out reform of the public sector and root out corruption in order to correct abnormal practices as revealed by the accident.

“As president, I am the one who holds ultimate responsibility for the inappropriate response to the accident,” said the president. “In order that their noble sacrifices were not in vain, I will take this opportunity to make this country reborn, as a new Republic of Korea.”



“After painstaking consideration, I have decided to dismantle the Korea Coast Guard, as they responded poorly to the ferry disaster,” said the president. “Its responsibilities for investigating and conducting public relations will be transferred to the National Police Agency. Its sea rescue, life saving and ocean guard functions will be transferred to the new ministry of national safety, to be established soon in order to improve their expertise and responsibility for ocean safety.”

“The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) is not free from responsibility for supervising the Korea Coast Guard,” said the president. She said the government will show its responsibility by separating the functions and responsibilities of the ministry and by improving the professionalism of the staff involved. In this regard, she said, “The function of controlling ocean traffic will be moved to the new ministry of national safety. The MOF will need to focus on promoting ocean-based industries and protecting and developing the fishing industry.”

“The current Ministry of Security and Public Administration did not properly undertake its role of taking responsibility for the safety of the people either,” said President Park. She said that the ministry’s key role of safety protection will be transferred to the new ministry of national safety. Its personnel affairs and ability to form organizations will be transferred to the new ministry of administrative reform, to be established under the Prime Minister’s Office. President Park said that her administration will soon submit a revised bill to the National Assembly that will contain all such reform measures concerning the government's organizational structure.

President vows to cut vicious circle of irregular practices

“This accident proves to us how deep-rooted, widespread abnormal practices, including exclusive and collusive ties between regulators and businesses, can lead to great disasters,” said President Park, emphasizing her firm will to reform many aspects of public administration.

“Without fail, my administration will reform irregular practices, some of which are currently quite common, in order to cut the corruptive ties that exist between the government and businesses. These have been compromising and overlapping each other, affecting many aspects of people’s lives, and they must stop.”

"First of all, public servants will not be appointed to leadership or auditor positions at public organizations responsible for safety supervision, procurement or approval-related regulations. That last, in particular, could create the potential for conflicts of interest," President Park said. "There will also be stricter limits on recruiting public servants at other organizations."

President Park said she would submit immediately to the National Assembly her government's proposed amendment to the Public Service Ethics Act, which contains these changes.

"We need reform to fundamentally transform bureaucracy in Korea if we are to survive against 21st century competition, which is based on creativity," President Park said. "We will completely change recruitment methods so that more private sector professionals can work for public offices." For that purpose, a so-called "central selection exam committee" will be established by the government to fairly recruit private sector professionals for public offices.

Profits of corporations that have caused damage to be restituted

"From now on, the profits that corporations have gained by causing loss of life or damages, and the money they have built up by giving in to their greed and to their own interest, will be restituted and used as financial resources to provide compensation for the victims. Those companies will be forced to shut down," said President Park.

"For the Sewol ferry accident, the government will immediately submit special legislation to the National Assembly to first quickly provide state compensation to the victims and later to exercise an indemnity in seeking reimbursement from those who are eventually found responsible."

"We will root out the corruption that is widespread in our society," said the president. "If necessary, we will appoint special prosecutors to lay bare the truth and to strictly reprimand those who are responsible. We will propose an amendment to the criminal law so that from now on, those who are responsible for causing serious accidents that result in casualties and cause damage to the public by producing food with defects, for example, will be sternly punished," the president added.

President Park pledges to build a new country

"The Sewol ferry sinking will be remembered as an unforgettable moment of agony in our history," said President Park. "However, if we can create a truly 'safe Korea' by learning from the accident, it may be remembered as the start of a new world."

"Now, we need to stand up to despair and move on," stressed President Park. "We need to make things right for Korea and renew our country. I will pledge all my future energies to correcting past and present irregularities and to building a new country," the president stressed.



By Wi Tack-whan, Yoon Sojung, Limb Jae-un
Korea.net Staff Writers
whan23@korea.kr