South Korea is disbanding its coast guard after the ferry disaster

South Korea's National Assembly announced Friday that it would disband its coast guard. The guard was criticized for its failure to save hundreds of passengers from the sinking Sewol ferry in April.

The Sewol ferry's sinking killed more than 300 people. South Korean authorities said that "swifter, more aggressive action" from the coast guard could have saved more of the passengers, according to The Associated Press. The coast guard's duties will be folded into the responsibilities of the National Police Agency and a new safety agency.

Lee Joon-seok, the captain of the ferry, and three of his crew members may be given the death penalty. Verdicts in the case will be decided next week, AP notes.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up