Bureaucratic Accountability and Disaster Response: Why Did the Korea Coast Guard Fail in Its Rescue Mission During theSewolFerry Accident?

Abstract

The Sewol ferry accident, occurring in the ocean in South Korea on April 16, 2014, resulted in the loss of 304 lives. Some argue that one of the primary reasons for such an excessive death toll was because the post‐disaster rescue operations led by the Korea Coast Guard (KCG) were neither timely nor efficient and effective. In this study, we attempt to understand whether there was any systemic cause behind such an unsuccessful disaster response on the part of the KCG. In doing so, we analyze the KCG's aptitudes, attitudes, and behaviors vis‐à‐vis its rescue operations in the broader context of Sewol ferry disaster management, while utilizing the classic theories of bureaucratic accountability. We conclude this research by arguing that the KCG was more concerned about hierarchical, political, and legal accountability than professional accountability in the midst of the accident, and discuss theoretical and practical ramifications of our findings.

Exploring the Determinants of Perceived Risk of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in Korea

“…The Sewol ferry disaster that occurred 2014 and killed more than 300 individuals revealed similar ideological conflicts, as like MERS case. According to Jin and Song [ 31 ], the disaster response in the case of the Sewol ferry disaster was unsuccessful because the Korea Coast Guard (KCG) was more concerned about hierarchical, political, and legal accountability than about professional accountability during the accident.…”

Optimal Staffing for Vessel Traffic Service Operators: A Case Study of Yeosu VTS

“…This leads to a problem that the current VTS operator may not prevent marine accidents due to failure to provide timely safety information. In addition, in the event of a marine accident during traffic congestion, the time to recognize the situation for the VTS operator may be long enough to delay the initial response [ 8 , 9 ].…”

“…In particular, the sunken ferry Sewol accident was a VTS operator missing early detection. The VTS operators ignored the service regulation that two operators should be at work simultaneously; one has to monitor the coastal sea and the other to monitor the open sea [ 8 , 9 ]. Meanwhile, it was found that variables such as short and irregular meals and work overload due to lack of VTS operator staffing were correlated with job stress [ 10 ].…”

US circular versus Korean angular emergency management cultures

“…That is, the exercise of command and control by a higher‐ranked authority has greater influence on decision‐making than that of other individuals regardless of ability. For example, concerns about hierarchical accountability adversely affected the rescue efforts of the Korea Coast Guard during the sinking of the Sewol ferry (Jin and Song, 2017). Furthermore, when a higher‐ranked official enters the picture, the unconventional ideas of lower‐ranked officials are set aside under the guise of ensuring a stable process.…”