The Ad Hoc Committee for Probing the Truth behind the Ferry Sewol Disaster held a pubic hearing in Seoul with the then chief of the marine police agency and a high-ranking official concerned of the "government" on Dec. 15.

At the hearing, the authorities were confirmed not to have said truth when they asserted they mobilized more than 500 divers for the rescue operation at the time of disaster.

In fact, the authorities set in motion less than 100 frogmen for the rescue who failed to enter the ferry even after the lapse of several days.

The recent hearing also disclosed that the rescue operation was seriously hobbled by the ruling forces right after the disaster.

The rescue team was only busy rescuing the captain and crewmen who fled the ferry and it did not approach the ferry though it could see through the window the children anxiously crying out for help.

This being a hard fact, the ruling forces are evading the responsibility for the disaster and disturbing the probe into it in every way and ruthlessly repressing the protests of the people of various circles including the bereaved families.