Disclosure of Sewol Special Act and Victims Compensation Act Records: "Hoping to Aid in Truth-Finding"

Records Requested by the 4.16 Sewol Families for Truth and A Safer Society

The government will release records related to the enactment of the Special Act on the Sewol Ferry Disaster through the Presidential Archives Portal.

The 4·16 Choir performs a memorial concert at the 12th anniversary remembrance ceremony for the Sewol ferry disaster held at Hwarang Park in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province on the 16th. Photo by Yonhap News

The Presidential Archives of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on the 16th that it will make public three records related to the enactment of the Special Act on the Sewol Ferry Disaster, as requested by the 4.16 Sewol Families for Truth and A Safer Society.

Previously, the Presidential Archives had denied access to the records requested by the association in November last year. In response, the association filed a lawsuit with the Seoul Administrative Court in March of this year.

After review by a specialized committee, the Presidential Archives decided to disclose the three records and provided copies to the association on June 2. The association then filed a withdrawal of the lawsuit with the court.

The records being released this time are a total of three: ▲ Progress reports on the enactment of the Sewol Victims Compensation Act and related initiatives; ▲ Reports on developments in ruling-opposition consultations regarding the enactment of the Special Act on the Sewol Ferry Disaster; and ▲ Reports on ruling-opposition consultations regarding the enactment of the Sewol Victims Compensation Act.

Minister of the Interior and Safety, Hojoong Yoon, stated, "I hope this decision to release the records will aid in the healing and truth-finding process for the Sewol disaster bereaved families who have endured deep emotional pain over the years," and emphasized, "We will make every effort to promptly and proactively release presidential records so that they can be provided in a timely manner to those who need them."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.