Safety issues in Hungary boat sinking strike nerve in SKorea

FILE - In this April 16, 2014, file photo, South Korean rescue helicopters fly over South Korean ferry Sewol, trying to rescue passengers from the ship in waters off Jindo, South Korea. The deadly sinking of a boat in Hungary carrying South Korean tourists on Thursday, May 30, 2019, is touching a nerve in South Korea, where many are still traumatized over a 2014 ferry sinking that killed more than 300 people, mostly school kids. That grief is compounded by some South Korean tour agents and travelers' claims that there have long been worries over safety at the site where the collision happened. (Yonhap via AP, File)

FILE - In this April 17, 2014, file photo, South Korean Coast Guard personnel search for missing passengers aboard the sunken South Korean ferry Sewol in the water off Jindo, South Korea. The deadly sinking of a boat in Hungary carrying South Korean tourists on Thursday, May 30, 2019, is touching a nerve in South Korea, where many are still traumatized over a 2014 ferry sinking that killed more than 300 people, mostly school kids. That grief is compounded by some South Korean tour agents and travelers' claims that there have long been worries over safety at the site where the collision happened. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)

The sinking of a boat carrying South Korean tourists in Hungary is touching a nerve in South Korea, where many are still traumatized over a 2014 ferry sinking that killed more than 300 people, mostly students. The grief is compounded by claims by some South Korean tour agents and travelers that there were past safety issues on the Danube River where the accident happened.

A total of 33 South Koreans were on the small boat enjoying the night view of Budapest on Wednesday evening despite a downpour. A preliminary investigation showed none was wearing a life jacket when the boat collided with a larger cruise ship on the river, according to the South Korean government and their tour agency in Seoul.