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Coast Guard in South Korea said Tuesday that it will make all-out efforts to the last minute to search the missing in the sunken ferry, even after President Park Geun-hye vowed to disband the maritime police over its failure to save passengers.
Koh Myung-seok, director of the coast guard's technology and equipment bureau, told a press briefing that the joint rescue team composed of coast guard, military and private divers will search those missing with all their soul and might, trying to dispel worries among families of the missing about slower search operations.
On the 35th day into search, 287 people have been confirmed dead, with 17 other still missing. No survivors have been reported since 172 people were saved from the sea and ship on April 16 when the ferry Sewol capsized and sank off the southwestern island of Jindo.
Two thirds of the 476 passengers on board the vessel were Danwon High School students and teachers on a class trip.
President Park said in her nationally televised speech Monday that she decided to dismantle the coast guard for its failure to save passengers, denouncing that the coast guard's rescue operations actually failed.
The duties of the coast guard will be absorbed into the national police force or the "National Safety Office," which will be launched and serve as a control tower of rescue operations for all disasters. The duties of marine transport control from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, which has been also under public criticism, will be transferred to the new organization.
Following Park's decision to disband the coast guard, families of the missing announced its statement in the Jindo Island, worrying that the disbandment was feared to cause chaos among coast guard officers and hamper search operations.
Coast Guard chief Kim Seok-kyun said Monday that all coast guard officers, including him, will humbly accept the president's decision, pledging to make all-out efforts to search the missing as promised before.
