Residents affected by oil spill urge gov't, Samsung to compensate

TAEAN, South Korea, Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- Residents in an area devastated by South Korea's worst-ever oil spill urged the government and an affiliate of Samsung Group, the largest conglomerate in South Korea, to provide redress for damages.

In Dec. 7, 2007, around 12,000 tons of crude oil spilled into the west sea
following a collision between an oil tanker owned by the Hong Kong-registered
Hebei Spirit Shipping Co. and a barge owned by Samsung Heavy Industries Co. in
waters off Taean County, South Chungcheong Province, blackening beaches and fish
farms along the west coast. A barge carrying a crane separated from its two
tugboats and collided with the tanker.
At an appeal court Wednesday at a South Korean court, both Samsung Heavy
Industries and Hebei Spirit were held responsible for the damages. Each company
was fined tens of millions of won while some of their employees were sentenced to
imprisonment.
"It has been a year since the incident, the government has not conducted any
proper assessment of the damages in the area and did not take actions to restore
the area," the fishermen in the region said in a statement.
"The government and Samsung must make amends as soon as possible, and Samsung, as
a wrongdoer, must compensate to an unlimited extent," they said. "Until all is
fully recovered, the government and Samsung must take responsibility and prevent
further damages."