South Korean PM resigns over ferry disaster response

South Korea’s Prime Minister announced his resignation Sunday morning, taking responsibility for the slow initial response to a ferry’s sinking that has left nearly 200 dead with scores more still missing.

Chung Hong-won began his announcement with a mournful prelude filled with anguish.
“It has been more than 10 days since the sinking accident occurred, but the cries from the family members who still not have found their missing keep me from sleeping at night,” he said.

“I bow my head and express my condolences to the victims’ portraits of this accident. I apologize deeply to the bereaving families, and I pray for a quick recovery from the hurt of a slow recovery.”

Prime Minister Chung outlined his decision on national television, after apologizing “on behalf of the government for the many problems that arose during the first response and the subsequent rescue operation” in addition to “problems that existed before the accident.”

“During the search process, the government took inadequate measures and disappointed the public,” Chung said. “I should take responsibility for everything as the prime minister, but the government can assume no more. So I will resign as prime minister.”

With his announcement, Chung urged his countrymen to stand united, rather than divided.

“This is not the time for blaming each other but for finishing the rescue operation and dealing with the accident,” he said. “In order to get over these difficult times, I ask the citizens for help.”

President Park Geun-hye accepted the Prime Minister’s resignation Sunday, her office said in a statement. She said the resignation will take effect later, after the government is finished with the aftermath of the disaster.

Chung becomes the highest-profile public figure yet to fall following the April 16 disaster and subsequent response, which elicited considerable sorrow and anger from the South Korean public.

A single body
Eleven days later, searchers are still looking for passengers and crew aboard the Sewol ferry. They have retrieved 188 bodies so far, with another 114 still missing.

The search Sunday was suspended due to bad weather that made diving through the murky waters especially dangerous, but divers made an exception and went down to recover a single body.

A day earlier, divers found the bodies of 48 girls — wearing their life jackets — pressed into a room too small for so many people.
Divers believe that they will face the same scene again. There may be a second, similar room, where 50 more girls are believed to have been trapped when the ferry rolled over.

South Korean coast guard diver Kim Dong-soo said he had tears in his eyes when he heard about the accident.

“Even now, I’m searching as if I’m looking for my own children — and other coast guards feel the same way,” he told CNN. “I have two medical patches on me, have difficulty breathing and my head hurts. But it hurts the most in my heart, knowing those children are still in the cold water.”

Those still diving face a search that is getting harder and slower.
Now they will head down deep for cabins near the seabed.

In the cramped spaces, divers have been battling a forest of floating objects and doors forced shut by tremendous water pressure. Currents tug at the breathing tubes that keep them alive as they look for the dead.

There may be fewer bodies to retrieve, but divers have already searched the easily accessible places, said South Korean navy Capt. Kim Jin-hwang, commander of the rescue operation.

“But the navy will not stop until the last body is found,” he said.