Nguyen Hung Cuong

Captain Jeon Je Yong was born on August 15, 1941 at Incheon of South Korea, and moved to reside at southernmost Tongyeong city from 1955. Graduating from the navigation school in 1962, he worked as Assistant Captain first in Jedon Susan shipping company from 1968 then in Koryo Wonyang from 1972 before he was officially hired as a Captain for this company in 1975. Unfortunately, he was laid off and remained unemployed in 30 months following the event when he rescued 96 Vietnamese boat people on November 14, 1985. Then in July 1988 he was hired again as a Captain for two other shipping companies, Unikorea and Maxan. The latter had its sub-company located in the city of Pusan, South Korea. He retired from navigation in 1993 and worked for a living in the business of raising seafood produces from 1994 until now. His family in 2004 has three members including himself, his wife, and a teenage daughter.

The remarkable day of 96 boat people and the undeserved misfortune for Captain Yong to endure for 17 years – The engine of the tiny wooden boat carrying 96 human lives, including a 8-month pregnant woman, was broken after a four-day driftage in the international waters when the tropical storm was approaching. All 96 refugees filled with despair kept praying since they had noticed more than 20 ships passing by in four previous days without rescuing them. And as the blackened sea was bubbling up with waves the refugees were driven into another awful despair of unfortunate destiny, and at that time Captain Yong’s mountain-shaped ship appeared within some 100 meters as a life saver. Full vitality was seen reflected on all the refugees’ face as the ship made a full stop and began rescuing the refugees at 5:52 p.m. on November 14, 1985. The rescue spot was pinpointed at Malacca strait between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. At that time Captain Yong’s ship was being on its way back to Pusan port after fishing 9 months in India sea. With enthusiasm all crewmembers came down to the refugees’ boat and helped them up on board the ship, while Captain Yong remained on the deck to manage the rescue. It was only that moment when they found out the refugees totaled 96, among them the majority was children and women, who in four previous days were hustling in the boat. It took 10 days and nights for the ship to reach the home port of Pusan.

The consequence of a gross injustice Captain Yong bore was only told to one of those refugees who searched for and successfully met with his lifesaver until 17 years later. Thanks to the contact with the refugee Captain Yong in his first letter disclosed that upon pinpointing the wrecked boat he had contacted his shipping company and asked for its permission to rescue the refugees, but the company ordered him not to go to their rescue due to potential difficulties for the company or the South Korea government. Captain Yong, however, disobeyed his superiors and ordered his screw members to rescue the refugees. While on the way back to home port Pusan, he was also ordered to drop off all the refugees into a desert island before the ship landed, but after ponderable moments he disobeyed again his superiors’ orders and listened to the voice of his conscience instead. Ultimately, all 96 refugees landed and entered the refugee camp.

Captain Yong has marvelously done his responsibility of a navigator and it is appropriate to human conscience. And due to his act of disobedience to his superiors, he was punished and laid off from his shipping company; he was forced to be no more a navigator that is a career he loves, thus his family was facing an economy hard time. Meanwhile, all the rescued refugees finally left the camp and settled in different countries without knowing not in the least the consequences Captain Yong endured.

Captain Yong passed away of heart attack on November 15, 2019 at Tonyeong his hometown. Mr. Cuong Hung Nguyen, who lives in South California and is one of the 96 boat people Captain Yong had rescued, held a service in memory of Captain Yong at Hue Quang Buddhist temple to celebrate the 100-day anniversary of Captain Yong’s death. The ceremony was attended by some hundred public figures from the American, Korean, and Vietnamese communities.