▲ A group of bereaved family members of victims of the deadly 2017 sinking of the Stellar Daisy hold a press conference near the presidential office in central Seoul on March 23, 2026. (Yonhap)

ship sinking-families

Families call for new underwater search for missing in deadly 2017 cargo ship sinking

SEOUL, March 23 (Yonhap) -- A group of bereaved family members of victims of a deadly 2017 South Korean cargo ship sinking urged the government Monday for new underwater search efforts for those missing in the disaster.

The Stellar Daisy, carrying 260,000 tons of iron ore, sank while sailing in the South Atlantic on March 31, 2017. Among her 24 crew members, only two Filipinos were rescued, while the rest remain missing.

A 2019 search discovered partial wreckage of the ship and the victims' belongings, but a second search has yet to take place due to budgetary constraints.

"The government should immediately install a taskforce on a second underwater search," the group said in a press conference near the presidential office.

The group also called on the government and the parliament to conduct a thorough investigation into the sinking based on an upcoming appellate ruling in connection with the case.

In 2023, the Busan Regional Maritime Safety Tribunal recognized negligence by Polaris Shipping Co., which operated the Stellar Daisy, in its sinking. The company has appealed, with the ruling expected Wednesday.

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