South Korean Supreme Court Sentences Head Of Ferry Operator To 7 Years Imprisonment For Tragic Sewol Disaster That Killed Over 300 People In 2014

More than 300 people died after Sewol ferry capsized off the coast of South Korea in April 2014. According to a report by BBC News on Apr. 16, 2014, most of the passengers were high school students travelling to Jeju Island from Incheon for a field trip.

Reports have revealed that passengers were asked not to move when the ferry was about to sink.

"We were told to stay where you are, so we kept staying," survivor Hyun Hung Chang said, as noted by CNN on Apr. 17, 2014. "But later on, the water level came up. So we were beside ourselves. Kids were screaming out of terror, shouting for help."

A few refused to follow the instruction given and decided to jump from the sinking Sewol ferry, while most of the passengers who obeyed the announcement unfortunately did not made it.

"I had to swim a bit to get to the boat to be rescued," said high school student Lim Hyung Min. "The water was so cold and I wanted to live."

Further reports have revealed that the tragic incident killed 304 people out of 459 passengers.

A year after the Sewol disaster, the supreme court of South Korea sentenced the head of ferry operator to seven years of imprisonment, as reported by The Guardian.

Chonghaejin Marine Co. president Kim Han Sik will spend seven years in prison after the court discovered him accountable for failing to avoid the overloading of goods and improper storage on the Sewol ferry.

The Supreme Court said the factors mentioned contributed to the sinking of the ferry last year that killed hundreds of people.

Aside from Kim, four other officials of the ferry operator were sentenced to two and a half up to four years imprisonment on related charges filed against Kim which include manslaughter.

Meanwhile, Sewol captain Lee Joon Seok petitioned after he was sentenced to life imprisonment on charges filed against him. A decision on Lee is still anticipated after his appeal.