The rescue efforts regarding the SeWol incident were largely unsuccessful, resulting in a significant number of deaths among high school students and the crew members. Both the government and the marine forces were highly inefficient in carrying out the rescue operations, failing to act promptly in a situation of severe danger. As a result of poor rescue efforts, a total of 304 passengers died in the disaster, a majority of them being high school students.
The government was not only criticizes for failing to carry out prompt rescue operations, but also for failing to deliver correct information to its citizens. During the capsizing and the subsequent reporting, the government's announcements, as well that of the media, have been inconsistent and inaccurate. On the day of the shipwreck, the government had announced that 368 people had been rescued, However, it later reported that there had been a counting error, and revised the number to 164. The government then commented that remaining passengers are "unaccounted for." The government's irresponsible response, coupled with inaccurate reporting of the media, was more than enough to bring about social outrage among the South Korean citizens. An editorial in "The Huffington Post," a South Korean newspaper, stated that the government reports were like a rubber band, "increasing at one moment and decreasing at another." Other mainstream newspapers in Korea have made corrections and apologies concerning their earlier erroneous reports.
There were significant flaws of the rescue operation. First of all, there was a severe lack of communication between the SeWol ferry and the marine coast guard. The coast guard only arrived at the scene approximately 40 minutes after the SeWol started sinking. At the time of arrival, the ferry was tilted about 50 to 60 degrees to port. When the coast guard vessels arrived, they made announcements calling people to abandon ship and jump into the waters. The vessel began formal rescue operations after nearly an hour after the initial incident by dispatching rubber boats. Passengers who have reached the deck or have jumped into the water were rescued. However, the rescue team could not get inside the ship due to the tilt and lack of necessary equipments. Soon after, 150 special forces personnel from the Republic of Korea Army Special Warfare Command, including 40 scuba divers, were sent for the operation. With the arrival of the special forces and the necessary professionals, they managed to rescue a decimal of passengers who were trapped inside the ship. The rescue operation also involved significant help from all three divisions of the military: the army, the navy and the air forces. Helicopters and combat fleets were deployed to assist the rescue, and the U.S. Navy jumped in at one point of the operation to help out.
Although the government and the military made efforts to aid the rescue operation, the rescue was overall unsuccessful. Despite their efforts, 304 passengers ended up dying, and there were several accidents throughout the course of the operations. Several diver workers died during the search because they were trapped inside the body of the ship, and a firefighting helicopter returning from rescue operations crashed near an apartment complex, killing all five officers aboard and severely injuring a high school students. There are a great number of accidents regarding the rescue operation, some unreported. It is crucial to recognize that the rescue was disorganized and unprofessional, and that such irresponsible reactions of the government and the SeWol crew was more than enough to engulf the entire nation in disparity and anger.
The government was not only criticizes for failing to carry out prompt rescue operations, but also for failing to deliver correct information to its citizens. During the capsizing and the subsequent reporting, the government's announcements, as well that of the media, have been inconsistent and inaccurate. On the day of the shipwreck, the government had announced that 368 people had been rescued, However, it later reported that there had been a counting error, and revised the number to 164. The government then commented that remaining passengers are "unaccounted for." The government's irresponsible response, coupled with inaccurate reporting of the media, was more than enough to bring about social outrage among the South Korean citizens. An editorial in "The Huffington Post," a South Korean newspaper, stated that the government reports were like a rubber band, "increasing at one moment and decreasing at another." Other mainstream newspapers in Korea have made corrections and apologies concerning their earlier erroneous reports.
There were significant flaws of the rescue operation. First of all, there was a severe lack of communication between the SeWol ferry and the marine coast guard. The coast guard only arrived at the scene approximately 40 minutes after the SeWol started sinking. At the time of arrival, the ferry was tilted about 50 to 60 degrees to port. When the coast guard vessels arrived, they made announcements calling people to abandon ship and jump into the waters. The vessel began formal rescue operations after nearly an hour after the initial incident by dispatching rubber boats. Passengers who have reached the deck or have jumped into the water were rescued. However, the rescue team could not get inside the ship due to the tilt and lack of necessary equipments. Soon after, 150 special forces personnel from the Republic of Korea Army Special Warfare Command, including 40 scuba divers, were sent for the operation. With the arrival of the special forces and the necessary professionals, they managed to rescue a decimal of passengers who were trapped inside the ship. The rescue operation also involved significant help from all three divisions of the military: the army, the navy and the air forces. Helicopters and combat fleets were deployed to assist the rescue, and the U.S. Navy jumped in at one point of the operation to help out.
Although the government and the military made efforts to aid the rescue operation, the rescue was overall unsuccessful. Despite their efforts, 304 passengers ended up dying, and there were several accidents throughout the course of the operations. Several diver workers died during the search because they were trapped inside the body of the ship, and a firefighting helicopter returning from rescue operations crashed near an apartment complex, killing all five officers aboard and severely injuring a high school students. There are a great number of accidents regarding the rescue operation, some unreported. It is crucial to recognize that the rescue was disorganized and unprofessional, and that such irresponsible reactions of the government and the SeWol crew was more than enough to engulf the entire nation in disparity and anger.