Rival parties reach compromise on ferry bills

SEOUL, Oct. 31 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's rival political parties reached a compromise Friday on all three bills related to April's deadly sinking of the ferry Sewol, paving the way for their passage through the National Assembly after a months-long standoff.

The breakthrough deal came six months after the 6,825-ton ferry sank off the country's southwest coast on April 16, leaving more than 300 people dead or missing, mostly high school students on a school excursion.

The disaster has become a political issue in South Korea as critics argue that the government's poor initial response to the accident contributed to the high death toll.
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