Special Sewol law fails to pass at National Assembly

President Park Geun-hye and leading and opposition parties have agreed on the special Sewol law, but its passage was virtually foundered at the National Assembly general meeting Wednesday. The promised deadline for the treatment of the special law was Wednesday, the day that marks the third month since the ferry Sewol sank. Both parties had demanded thorough fact-findings but failed to keep the deadline due to political struggle.

The parliamentary "task force team for Sewol incident investigation and prompt legislation on compensation" failed to narrow differences on granting investigation rights to the investigation committee.

The leading Saenuri Party repeatedly opposed to granting investigation rights to the fact-finding committee claiming that the basis of the judicial system could be shaken. At the party`s supreme and leading member joint meeting, floor leader Lee Wan-koo said, "Investigation rights issue has become most sensitive. Meanwhile, the New Politics Alliance for Democracy said, "A no-holds-barred investigation should be made to find the truth. The Saenuri Party should embrace the demands of granting investigation rights to the fact-finding committee."

Saenuri Party leader Kim Moo-sung and New Politics Alliance for Democracy co-head Ahn Cheol-soo met at a VIP room in National Assembly for a last-minute tuning regarding the special Sewol law. Both parties` floor leaders Lee Wan-koo and Park Young-sun also attended the meeting.

Meanwhile, more than 30 Danwon High School students who were rescued from the ferry Sewol and about 10 parents delivered their requests to the parliament including calls for thorough investigation of truth for Sewol wreck and prompt passage of the special law. They launched a walking march the previous day in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province.

Parents at the Sewol family countermeasures committee have staged a hunger strike for the third day demanding truth ascertainment and special law enactment.