South Korean ferry crew stands trial for negligence, homicide

The trial of 15 crew members of a South Korean ferry that sank in April, killing nearly 300 people, began Tuesday, with defendants charged with crimes ranging from negligence to homicide.

As the crew members stood with bowed heads before three Gwangju District Court judges, families of the victims struggled to contain their fury. Many wore yellow ribbons in memory of those killed in the April 16 disaster, most of whom were students on a school trip. The judges asked the crowd to be quiet.

"Everybody should be sentenced to death," one spectator said. As the defendants were led in, someone in the packed courtroom shouted: "That guy is the captain, isn't he? Murderer!"

Because of time constraints Tuesday, only 11 of the 15 entered pleas of not guilty. The remaining four are scheduled to appear at a hearing in one week.

All surviving crew members responsible for the ship's navigation have been charged with negligence and with failing to do their duty to protect passengers.

Several of the defendants acknowledged some responsibility at Tuesday's hearing but denied that they caused the sinking, saying they had little control over the stability of the ferry, which was overloaded with cargo.

After expressing his condolences to the victims' families, Judge Lim Joung-youb emphasized the rights of the defendants to make their own arguments.

Capt. Lee Joon-seok and three other crew members are charged with homicide — a charge that could carry the death penalty, though South Korea has not executed anyone since 1997. Prosecutors accuse them of tacitly colluding to abandon the ship while being aware that the passengers would be trapped and killed when the ship sank.

The captain's lawyer, Lee Kwang-jae, said the factors that caused the sinking couldn't be controlled by the captain, who he said who operated the ferry only six days a month as a contract worker. The lawyer said the captain didn't flee the ship, tried to correct the ferry's balance and asked people to wear life vests, even though he was injured. He also said the coast guard were better able to monitor the overall situation of the ferry from helicopters and rescue boats than the captain on the bridge.

The lawyer said that Park Han-gyeol, the third mate on duty, had a panic attack during the sinking and sat and wept in a corner on the bridge.

Prosecutors submitted nearly 2,000 pieces of evidence to the court for review.

In a statement sent to reporters via text message and read out by family representative Kim Byung-gwon before the hearing, a committee of ferry victims' families demanded strict punishment of the crew.

"They say wounds heal as time goes by, but, for us, it's like time has stopped," the statement said. "The defendants, who should have saved the passengers first, ran out first and lived.... The defendants not only killed the passengers, they also killed the souls of the families and basic trust in our society."

President Park Geun-hye has called the crew's actions murderous, and the pervading hostility against them has raised questions about the fairness of the trial. Six state-appointed lawyers, three of whom just started practicing law this year, are defending the crew.

The court said in a statement that it would guarantee the rights of both the defendants and the victims.

Nearly two months after the sinking, 292 bodies have been recovered and 12 people are still missing. Divers are continuing underwater searches for those believed trapped inside the sunken ship off the country's southwestern coast.

There are allegations that the ferry operator, Chonghaejin Marine Co., dangerously overloaded the vessel and gave crew members inadequate emergency training. Some company officials have also been arrested.

There is widespread anger and frustration with the government over what many see as an incompetent search and rescue effort. Since the sinking, President Park has pushed to restructure government agencies and reshuffle top officials to try to restore public confidence.

On Tuesday, Park nominated a former senior journalist to replace the outgoing prime minister, who resigned to take responsibility for the government's handling of the sinking. Park's first choice for the job resigned amid allegations of ethical lapses.

Wire services