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Former KBS newsroom chief Kim Si-gon makes an oath as a witness participating in the third hearing of the Special Sewol Investigative Commission

A recently published computer simulation calls into question the efficacy of pumping air into the Sewol ferry during the attempt to rescue passengers trapped in the ship soon after it capsized. This is prompting allegations that the government’s insistence on pumping air into the hull ultimately wasted time that could have been used to rescue the passengers.

During the third hearing of the Special Sewol Investigative Commission, which was held on Sept. 1 at the Kim Dae-jung Library at Yonsei University, questions were raised about the government’s decision to delay rescue work as it pumped air into air pockets at the time of the accident.

“Our simulation shows that there were no air pockets in the passenger compartments on the Sewol when air was being pumped into the hull. These efforts did nothing but add a little air below the ceiling,” said researchers at the Korea Maritime and Ocean University, whom the commission had asked to carry out a simulation about what was happening on the ferry immediately after it capsized.

The researchers also found that the compressor that was used to pump in air was ineffective. Not only was it a small type of compressor used to break rocks, but the hose that connected it to the hull was just 19 mm in diameter.

On the third day after the accident, the Coast Guard began trying to pump air into the hull and continued to do so for three days on the assumption that there were air pockets inside.

“We had a salvage contract with Chonghaejin Marine to recover cargo in the case of an emergency, but the government instructed us to pump in the air as part of the rescue efforts. We suggested setting up a crane, but the government rejected that idea,” said Kim Yun-sang, president of Undine Marine Industries, who was called to the stand as a witness.

“During the ‘golden time’ for rescuing the passengers, workers were pumping air into air pockets on the government’s orders, using a small compressor and industrial oil. They didn’t even have the ferry’s floor plan. This was basically a farce designed to fend off criticism about the botched rescue,” said Park Jong-un, a standing member of the commission.

“Instead of pointlessly pumping air into the hull, they ought to have installed a water velocity meter or used the two 3,600-ton cranes that had already arrived at the scene of the accident to keep the hull of the ferry from submerging completely,” Park said.

which was held on Sept. 1 at the Kim Dae-jung Library at Yonsei University in Seoul. (by Kim bong-gyu

Allegations were also raised during the hearing that the government secretly retrieved a digital video recorder that could have been used to determine what was happening on the ferry at the time of the accident.

Most of the key witnesses whom the commission had asked to appear at the hearing did not show up.

The commission had sent summonses to 68 individuals, including former Blue House Chief of Staff Kim Ki-choon, Saenuri Party head Lee Jung-hyun (Senior Secretary to the President for Public Relations at the time of the accident) and former Minister of Gender Equality and Family Cho Yoon-sun.

“We expect that most of the current and former public servants who were selected as witnesses for the hearing will not be present. Even so, we intend to sift through the precious fragments of truth using video footage and audio recordings. Let’s wait and see what we can learn,” Lee Seok-tae, the commission chair, said before the hearing began.

The second day of the hearing, on Sept. 2, is expected to address topics including problems with efforts to raise the hull of the Sewol and the prosecutors’ bungled investigation of the Coast Guard’s trunked radio system (TRS).

By Kim Mi-young and Park Soo-jin, staff reporters

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