Lee Joon-Seok, the captain widely derided by families for leaping to safety while the hundreds of people remained inside the sinking South Korean ferry, was sentenced Tuesday to 36 years in jail.
Although he was acquitted of murder, Lee was found guilty of violating "seamen's law" and abandonment causing death and injury.
The sentence was the
culmination of a five-month trial. A panel of three judges delivered the
verdict and the sentence for Lee, who was accused of multiple charges
including negligence, abandonment, and murder, for his conduct on the
Sewol ferry that sunk on April 16.
Prosecutors had sought
the death penalty for Lee, alleging that he did not use the available
equipment such as life rafts, life vests and announcements to evacuate
the passengers.
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Park Gi-ho, the ferry's
chief engineer was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 30 years. The
remaining 13 crew members were sentenced five to 20 years.
The verdict was met with
outrage by families of the victim, who gathered outside court asking for
an appeal and calling for the death penalty for the crew members.
More than 300 people died
after the ferry capsized on the southwestern coast of South Korea in
April. Almost 250 of them were suburban high school students on their
way to a field trip.
Nine people remain missing. The government ended the underwater search on Tuesday after searching for about seven months.
"Conditions of the search
has reached dangerous situation, for instance like the collapse of
compartments within the ferry," said Lee Ju-young, the South Korean
Minister of Oceans and Fisheries. "As the winter season approaches,
conditions in the sea are deteriorating.
He said the chances of the finding the last victims were waning and that the sea conditions could cause casualties.
The ferry will be
sealed, but the decision on a salvage operation will be made after
considering various conditions and consulting with the families and
experts.
Crew scorned and blamed
The image of Sewol ferry captain Lee Joon-seok being rescued in his shorts enraged South Korea.
Damning photos of Lee,
dressed in a shirt and underwear, jumping into the arms of rescuers
triggered widespread revulsion. While, there's no international maritime
law that says a captain has to go down with his or her ship, his
actions drew widespread criticism and it cemented in many people's mind
that the captain had prioritized his safety over that of his passengers.
Even South Korean President Park Geun-hye chimed in, calling the actions of Lee and his crew as "akin to murder."
Lee has apologized numerous times, saying his actions were not intentional.
"I was stunned by the
accident and I lost my ability to make decisions. I swear I never
thought passengers should be left dying in order for me to make it to
safety first."
Lee and three other crew members were charged with murder in an emotional trial that began in June.
Several of the survivors
testified that when the ship's troubles began, they were instructed
over the announcement system to stay put rather than to evacuate. The
ship eventually capsized, trapping hundreds of passengers inside.
Lee's defense has
maintained that the captain had only been at the helm of the ship for
six days and that he was not willfully negligent.
"The defendant comes to
understand the responsibility and is relying on psychological medication
and also sleeping pills," his lawyer, Lee Gwang-jae told the court
earlier this month. "He has an apologetic mindset and is living everyday
as if walking on a thorny field, fearing that what he has done may sbe
passed onto his family."
Lee had not been
steering at the time when the ship listed that April morning. Lee told
the court he was in his room, smoking and changing his clothes when
trouble began on the ship. He acknowledged that he knew that the person
who was steering did not have the proper skills.
"I failed to take the necessary measures for passengers to leave the ship," Lee said in court.
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"I reflect and apologize
to the victim's families -- to those who lost their beloved sons and
daughters. To the fathers, I'd say: 'I've committed a sin, worthy of
death.'"
A fair trial?
Body identified as suspect ferry owner
There have been some
concern that the Sewol crew members were being publicly demonized,
affecting their chances for fair trial. Their trial was so highly
charged that some lawyers refused to represent Lee.
Investigators have said
that a vast amount of cargo, more than double the ferry's limit, and the
failure to tie it down properly were partly responsible for the
capsizing of the Sewol.
"I am concerned that those who are more responsible are shifting blame to the defendant," said Lee's defense attorney, when the trial began.
The operators of the Cheonghaejin Marine Co, which ran the ill-fated ferry are also facing trial.
South Korea's Yonhap
News Agency reported that prosecutors are seeking a 15-year prison term
for Kim Han-sik, chief executive officer of the company, who is facing a
manslaughter charge.
The Sewol disaster
caused widespread outrage in South Korea over lax safety standards and
the failure to rescue more people as the ship foundered.
Source: CNN
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