Sex Scandal, Sewol Ferry, and Politics in South Korea

Tara O, 2020-3-26

A sex scandal involving a woman volunteer and two men, who are fathers to the students who perished on the Sewol Ferry (세월호) are top search items in the Korean portals of late.  Mr. Choi, a volunteer, walked into a Sewol Ferry tent and saw a threesome, upon which he walked out after witnessing the shocking scene.  The woman came out after getting dressed, and told him not to speak about it to anyone and to pretend he has not seen anything, but she later told others, and the news spread. (8:10)  An activist who is familiar with the situation stated, “she said she had [sex] with Mr. A to help him ease his pain and that she [had sex with Mr. B because she] was in love with Mr. B.”  Mr. B’s wife stated it was too difficult for her, and eventually she and her husband (Mr. B) separated. (8:15)

What makes this situation so shocking is that the Sewol Ferry tragedy has become sacrosanct, above others in morality and righteousness. (0:33)

As with the “5.18” Gwangju Incident of 1980, saying anything that strays from the current narrative about the Sewol Ferry is swiftly shut down.  For instance, a former member of the Liberty Korea Party and former national assemblyman Cha Myeong-jin was severely criticized by the media, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (Deobureo Minjoo Party), and the Sewol Ferry group for expressing his frustration that the Sewol Ferry incident has been used for political purposes for years and for criticizing the Sewol Ferry group.  Liberty Korea Party swiftly expelled him from the party as demanded by the Democratic Party of Korea (Deobureo Minjoo Party) for “blunt statements.”  The Sewol Ferry group promptly sued him for $340,000, which is a lot of money for Cha, who confessed that it is “an enormous amount that I’ll never be able to save up, let alone pay.”  He also stated, “Left-wing reporters will never report that Sewol Ferry groups are suing me for  ₩410,000,000 ($347,000). They do not want to give the impression that those who they put on a pedestal are so money-hungry that they are suing Cha Myong-jin, who is unemployed and doesn’t even own a house, for an astronomical sum.”

Additionally, the National Assembly’s impeachment articles included “Sewol Ferry” as a reason for Park Geun-hye’s impeachment (which most lawmakers did not read before voting), blaming her for the lives lost during the Sewol Ferry sinking.  The sensational media reporting of what Park did during the “missing 7 hours” during the ferry sinking, such as rumors that she was getting her hair done, throwing a shamanistic ritual, having sex in a hotel for seven hours or getting a face lift–all turned out to be false.

The Sewol Ferry sank on April 16 (4.16), 2012 while enroute from Incheon to Jeju, South Korea.  Of the 476 people on board, 151 were rescued and 304 people perished, including students from Danwon High School, who were en route to Jeju Island for a school trip.  South Koreans mourned this tragedy.

The South Korean government raised the sunken ferry in March 2017 in a $72 million operation led by a Chinese consortium and compensated the families for this tragedy.  For each perished person, the court ruled in 2018 that the family should receive W200,000,000 ($177,000) from the government.  Additionally, W40,000,000 ($35,000) was to be paid to the parents, and W5,000,000 to 20,000,000 were to go to the siblings and grandparents.  The state later increased the compensation after some families rejected the amounts.

The Sewol Ferry group, led by 4.16 Solidarity, have continuously protested to this day.  When the above incident occurred in 2018, they were demanding the enactment of the “Sewol Ferry Special Act,” which includes “truth finding,” and made a tearful plea to the public in support of their goals.  The National Assembly passed the “Sewol Ferry Special Act,” which included three components:  Truth finding, safety, and compensation.

As they demanded “truth finding” about the Sewol Ferry sinking,  those who knew of the threesome incident told the 4.16 Solidarity and asked them to investigate the situation.  Instead, the 4.16 Solidarity covered it up, and the three people continued to be allowed to be present at the Sewol Ferry tents.

For the first five years, the “4.16 Solidarity” has been setting up tents and organizing protests regarding the Sewol Ferry sinking, until Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon (박원순) built a sizeable semi-permanent structure in the Gwanghwamun Plaza, the only group to get this exception.  (6:11) Their activities continue to this day.

The 4.16 Solidarity members include the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU, Minjoo Nochong, 민주노총), Korean Youth Solidarity (Hanguk Cheongnyeon Yeondai or HanCheongYeon, 한국청년연대), Lawyers for Democracy (Minbyun, 민변), National Union of Media Workers (언론노조), and People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (Chamyeo Yeondae, 참여연대), among a long list of organizations.

Many of these organizations have been politically active, often in anti-U.S., anti-state, and pro-North Korea protests and activities.  For instance, the militant labor union KCTU has organized large scale anti-U.S. beef imports and anti-THAAD protests, and often beats up police with no consequences. 

HanCheongYeon members held a rally near the U.S. Embassy in Seoul on December 13, 2019, criticizing the U.S. and Ambassador Harris and punching and ripping up his photo. 

Minbyun lawyers have tried to return the “Ningpo 12”–the 12 Noth Korean waitresses who worked in a North Korean restaurant in China, who are now settled in South Korea, to North Korea, as demanded by North Korea. 

The National Union of Media Workers have used threats, violence, and harassment to oust the board members of KBS and MBC broadcasters, ensuring the installation of pro-Moon Jae-in government executives, and airing pro-Moon and pro-Kim Jong-un programs. 

People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, from which came key personnel for not only the Moon Jae-in administration, but also Rho Moo-hyun and Kim Dae-jung administrations, has conducted numerous anti-U.S. protests.  Its website “peplepower21.org” shows various anti-U.S. topics, such as U.S. troop withdrawal, the Yangju Highway incident, the closing of Maehyangri training range, opposing GM purchase of Daewoo Motors, and opposing the U.S. Missile Defense system. 

Some of the family members of the Sewol Ferry sinking have also participated in a “Free Lee Seok-ki concert;” Lee Seok-ki is in jail for sedition.

The Sewol Ferry sinking is a tragedy.  It has, however, become a tool for political purposes by various groups with agendas.  These groups and associated politicians have elevated this issue to a sacred level, and preached morality and righteousness.  Yet, the hypocrisy of those organizers and activists that demand such sanctity is exposed yet again. South Korea’s mainstream media, however, are remaining silent on this issue.