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Kim Young-suk

Kim Young-suk, South Korea’s Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, said that he has never discussed measures about the sinking of the Sewol Ferry with President Park Geun-hye since taking office in November of last year.

Kim Young-suk made the statement before the National Assembly’s Agricultural, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee on June 28 in response to Rep. Kim Han-jeong, a lawmaker with the opposition Minjoo Party of Korea, who had asked whether the Minister had ever sat down with President Park since his appointment to talk about an exit strategy for the Sewol tragedy or to discuss how to bring an end to the controversy.

When Kim Han-jeong asked once more whether Kim Young-suk had ever brought up the issue of the Sewol tragedy with President Park in any conversation, regardless of how long, Kim Young-suk said that he had never had a face-to-face conversation with Park about the Sewol.

Lawmakers are fiercely debating whether the Special Sewol Investigative Commission should be guaranteed enough time to do its work, but Kim Young-suk’s comments suggest that President Park has not once discussed measures with the relevant minister during the seven months since he was appointed.

“During the cabinet meeting, we did discuss the enforcement decree related to the Sewol ferry issue. I think that the Blue House is staying adequately informed about the government’s progress both through reports in the press and through various reports,” Kim Young-suk added.

When Kim Han-jeong suggested that Kim Young-suk, as a cabinet member and the relevant minister, ought to advise the president to ensure that the Sewol Commission has enough time to complete its investigation, the Minister seemed to be trying to shirk responsibility. “I think that‘s not something that the government should decide,” he said.

By Um Ji-won, staff reporter

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