South Korean court orders compensation to families of Sewol ferry victims

SEOUL, July 19 (UPI) -- A Seoul Court ordered the state and a ferry company to compensate families of the victims of the country's deadly ferry sinking tragedy four years ago.

The Seoul Central District Court ruled that the state and Cheonghaejin Marine Co., the operator of the sunken Sewol ferry, should pay 200 million won ($177,000) to each of the victims, plus extra to family members in consolation payments, according to Yonhap.

The Sewol ferry sank off the southwestern coast on April 16, 2014, killing 304 people, mostly high school students on a school trip.

The court ruling also includes 40 million won ($35,000) to parents of the student victims and extra compensation, ranging from 5 million won ($4,420) to 20 million won ($17,000), for siblings and grandparents.

"The state and Cheonghaejin Marine Co. should be held accountable of their negligence for causing this incident," said the court.

"Families of the victims suffered a tremendous psychological shock from the ferry tragedy and still are under the great pain from post-traumatic disorder and stress," it said.

Family members sued the state and the ferry company for causing the accident and failing to conduct rescue work promptly.

The association of the family members called the Thursday court ruling "an outcome they deserve."

"The purpose of our lawsuit was to specify faults of the state and to what extent the ferry company should be held accountable," said Yoo Kyung-keun, head of the victims' family association, Yonhap reported.