South Korea ferry operator boss has been put to jail for 10 years. Due to his negligence, 304 people were killed when the ferry sank deep into the ocean.
A court in the southern city of Gwangju has determined that Kim Han-Sik, the Chief Executive of Chonghaejin Marine Co., permitted the ferry to operate, despite the overloading. Plus, the South Korea ferry operator head reportedly approved of some illegal renovations in order to add more spaces for the passengers, despite going over the allowed passenger capacity.
The Sewol sank during a routine voyage in April carrying 476 passengers. Sadly, 304 of these were not able to survive when the ship started to capsize and sink. On a sadder note, majority of the casualties were secondary school students.
This tragedy prompted a nationwide outpouring of grief for those who died and the loved ones whom they left behind. Also, people criticized the South Korean Government for how they handled the rescue operations.
The 71-year-old South Korea ferry operator boss was convicted of manslaughter. He was also found guilty of permitting the ferry's cargo to be left not properly secured, which is a clear breach of safety standards.
Apart from Kim, there were ten other defendants who stood trial alongside him. Six of them were also from Chonghaejin Marine Co. One was acquitted, while nine were given various prison sentences, ranging from suspended jail terms to six years in prison.
Although Kim was the boss of the ferry, Kim had been pretty adamant when it came to denying responsibility. He insisted that he was only a salaried employee under the thumb of company owner Yoo Byung-Eun. According to Kim, Yoo was the one who was deeply hands-on with the operations.
He was also convicted of diverting $2.6 million from the company over the past four years and funneling it to Yoo's other companies and Yoo's family members. After the disaster happened, Yoo became the target of a massive manhunt. He may have been charged as well, but his body was found in a field just this past June. However, an autopsy failed to identity Yoo's cause of death.
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