South Korea said yesterday it would revoke the license of the company that owned the ferry that sank with the loss of about 300 lives last month, as prosecutors prepared manslaughter charges against its chief executive.
Chonghaejin Marine Co chief executive Kim Han-sik was picked up at his home south of Seoul and taken into custody in the southwestern port city of Mokpo.
“Kim faces various charges, including manslaughter and violating maritime law,” senior prosecutor Yang Jong-jin said.
Photo: EPA
The charges stem from allegations that Kim was involved in, or turned a blind eye to, the overloading of the Sewol’s cargo consignment — seen as a major contributing factor to its capsize on April 16.
Meanwhile, the South Korean Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said it planned to close down Chonghaejin’s ferry operations entirely.
In a statement, the ministry said it would begin by revoking the company’s license to operate the route taken by the Sewol from the western port of Incheon to the southern island of Jeju.
At the same time it would pressure the owners to give up the licenses to its two other routes between the mainland and outlying islands.
“The name of Chonghaejin Marine Co will never be allowed to darken the ferry industry again,” a ministry spokesman said.
Handcuffed, and wearing a cap and surgical mask that hid his face, Kim was paraded before TV cameras after he was detained.
“I apologize to the victims and the families,” he said.
He then refused to answer further questions from reporters, staying silent with his head bowed.
The captain of the Sewol has already been arrested, along with 14 crew members and four Chonghaejin Marine officials.
The ferry had 476 people on board when it sank after listing sharply to one side and then rolling over.
Initial investigations suggest it was carrying up to three times its safe cargo capacity.
The confirmed death toll stood at 269 yesterday, with 35 people still unaccounted for.
Ko Myung-sok, spokesman for the federal disaster force, said operations to recover the remaining bodies had been repeatedly suspended because of conditions at sea, with powerful currents a constant danger for the dive teams.
“So far, 24 divers have been treated for injuries and decompression sickness,” Ko said.
The death of a diver on Tuesday has fueled debate as to how long the recovery operation should continue.
The deciding factor so far has been the sensitivities of the relatives of those still unaccounted for.
The coast guard has promised that the giant floating cranes to be used in the salvage operation would only be brought in once all the bodies trapped in the submerged ship have been retrieved, but with some bodies being recovered several kilometers away from the disaster site over the past week, it is unclear just how many remain trapped.
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