Ferry captain faces murder charges

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Ferry captain faces murder charges
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The captain and three other crew members of the
Sewol, the South Korean ferry that sank last
month, have been charged with murder. The
captain, Lee Joon-seok, along with the chief
engineer, and the first and second mates, could
face the death penalty if convicted of the
charges. But it has been nearly two decades since
the capital punishment was last carried out in
South Korea. The remaining 11 crew members have
been indicted on charges of abandonment and
violating a ship safety act. The prosecutor's
office said the captain and three crew members
were charged with murder, because they didn't use
the ship's facilities at their disposal -- such
as life rafts, life vests and announcements to
evacuate passengers. Seven crew members were
first to flee the ship, instead of carrying out
their responsibility to save the hundreds that
remained inside the ferry. Passengers were
instructed not to move and to stay in place as
the ferry listed. The Sewol ferry sank on April
16, killing 284 people and leaving 20 others
still missing. Most of the passengers were
students on a school field trip.
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