The Statement of the Evangelical Baptist Church (May 15, 2014)

The Statement of the Evangelical Baptist Church (May 15, 2014)

1. Who is more to blame: Chunhaeji, who owns Chonghaejin stock, or the Coast Guards who did not rescue dying children?

 If the accident was caused by a defective ferry, without a doubt the owner of Chonghaejin must be punished. Much of the blame for the Sewol ferry tragedy belongs with Chonghaejin. However, recently it was revealed that if the Korean Coast Guard managed the rescue operationcorrectly, most of the passengers would have been rescued. In other words, sinking of the ferry is Chonghaejin’s responsibility, but the Coast Guards are to blame for the death of passengers.

 Then the Coast Guard owns much of the blame for the death of more than 300 people which became the national tragedy, rather than Chonghaejin. However, there is very little investigation of the Coast Guard while Chunhaeji is getting very thorough investigation only because it owns stocks of Chonghaejin. Also, the president of Chunhaeji went through a criminal investigation and got arrested for breach of trust which is unrelated to the Sewol ferry accident. If the prosecution is being fair, shouldn’t they investigate the Coast Guard that was involved in the rescue operation as well as the executives and the head of the Coast Guard for breach of trust in operations? Going further, shouldn’t they go look for personal misconduct through the fund transfers of the Financial Supervisory Service and improper business conduct of the others?

 If the prosecutors investigate fairly, shouldn’t they promptly raid and search the superior offices of the Coast Guard such as the National Police Agency, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, the Ministry of Security and Public Administration, the National Intelligence Service and the Blue House, just like they raided and searched Chunhaeji’s holding company, I-One-I Holdings, its shareholders, and Mr. Yoo? There is no evidence to prove that I-One-I Holdings got involved in business operations of Chonghaejin. Nonetheless, they are under intense investigation by the prosecutors. This is unheard of. But why? Why only I-One-I Holdings and its affiliate companies are under investigation and the Coast Guard and its superior offices are not under any investigation?

 We request a fair investigation.

2. Stop the strategic reports from the government based on no evidence in order to turn us into a mass-murderer group and a terrorist group.

 Each press company and its reporters are coming out with the truth saying the reports on the Sewol ferry were unjust. Just as a proof of this situation, few press companies are continuously reporting on misconduct of Mr. Yoo and his family as if they are a group of mass murderers or terrorists. These preposterous reports must end now. We are not terrorists, nor a cult.

3. We have no place to go and have nothing to lose.

 Twenty-three years ago, despite getting shunned from the society during the Odaeyang incident, we never gave up and built companies and place to survive with collaboration. Most members of the Evangelical Baptist Church (as known as the Salvation Sect) have never been on the Sewol ferry and have been living without knowing who the owner of Chonghaejin is. We still do not know why we, the Evangelical Baptist Church, have to hear people saying we are to blame for the Sewol ferry tragedy. Also, we are getting pushed out from the society as the center of evil because of slanders like we don’t feel anything after killing a person.

 The number of people who lost their jobs and businesses that cannot operate has been increasing by dozens. Those who have nowhere to go are attending the protest here and spending days raising their voices to appeal to the world for false accusations.

 We have been already severely trampled on enough and have no possibility of sacrificing. We may not have much time left to breathe, but those who planned this incident must know very well. You cannot say ‘I will cut all arteries in your body but leave bones intact. So let’s negotiate.’ It cannot be undone with such lip service.

4. President Park Geun-hye, what do you stand to gain from obliterating the Evangelical Baptist Church?

 What kind of benefit is there to this nation, to its people, and to you by falsely accusing that our land, established both from our physical and spiritual collaborations, is a property of the Yoo family? And what kind benefit is there by arresting people based on invalid logic and all kinds of corruption investigations, just because we are members of the Evangelical Baptist Church? Is it truly creative economy to make tens of thousands of unemployed people?

 What do you stand to gain by mass-producing social outcasts who are falsely victimized, and by causing social unrest?

 We are currently being denied of being treated as citizen of the Republic of Korea by it government and majority of the people. The impression now is that Korea is better without us. Your government is intentionally creating this kind of atmosphere.

 Do you think the rage of the citizen against the Sewol ferry incident will stop even if you do this?

 Destroying this nation’s unification and reconciliation by plotting such conspiracy is putting you, President Park, in danger. Please reconsider this once more. This is the last advice given by people who have no more space to retreat in this world.

1. We demand cessation of the religious persecution. We oppose entry into the church by the governmental authority.

2. We demand immediate rectification of these unjust investigations.

- The investigations we are under by the President’s orders for severe punishment on the person responsible:

i. Unprecedented investigations that are under process through governmental collaborations of not only the police and the prosecution, but also of the Office of National Tax Administration, the Board of Audit and Inspection, and the Financial Supervisory Service.

ii. Pre-textual investigations of financial transactions of subsidiaries and major shareholders, along with Mr. Yoo, Byung-Eun, all of those who have no direct connections to the incident.

iii. Treating Mr. Yoo as the de facto owner of the ship and placing his family and the owners, along with the affiliate executive officers, under arrest.

- Investigations that we request:

i. Investigation of the accountability of the Coast Guard:

If the responsibility of the accident involving the body of ship lies with Chonghaejin, then the primary responsibility of failing to savethe 300 dead lies with the Coast Guard. Investigate the Coast Guard, at least to the same extent as the owner of the ship, according to the President’s orders for severe punishments.

ii. Begin an intense investigation of the director of the Coast Guard, the police commissioner, the director of Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF), the director of Ministry of Safety and Public

Administration, the Prime Minister, and the Chief of Staff (Presidential Secretary) through special inspections. Make it possible to punish them severely if any responsibility is found to be with them. Also, begin additional investigations including those for individual corruptions!

iii. Cease all reporting guidelines at once that denounce the Evangelical Baptist Church as a group of murderers or terrorists without evidence as well as those that discredit the Evangelical Baptist Church and the related personnel without any evidence.

Conclusion : If the above requests are not accepted, the prosecution and the government should not expect our cooperation. We have lost everything already.