A South Korean court ruled Thursday the government is partially liable for the tragic sinking of the Sewol ferry four years ago and must compensate families of the victims, according to news agencies.
Family members lodged the suit in September 2015, asking the court to determine «state liability for the cause, lax handling and outcome» of the accident, Yonhap reported.
One of the members of the association of victims’ families, Yoo Kyung-keun, struggled to hold back tears when comparing the treatment of the Sewol students with that of the young Thai soccer team recently rescued from a flooded cave system in that country, Reuters reported.
«It was the first time I envied the Thai people and I will continue to envy them,» Yoo said outside the court after the ruling, adding he wished he were a Thai national.
«I was so glad everyone was alive and safe,» he said of soccer team, Reuters reported.
