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| S Korea ferry: Prosecutors seek death penalty for captain | S Korea ferry: Prosecutors seek death penalty for captain |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| South Korean prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for the captain of the Sewol ferry, which sank in April killing more than 300 people. | South Korean prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for the captain of the Sewol ferry, which sank in April killing more than 300 people. |
| The prosecutors said Lee Joon-seok, who is charged with homicide, failed to execute his duty. | The prosecutors said Lee Joon-seok, who is charged with homicide, failed to execute his duty. |
| The call came as they concluded their case in a trial which began in June. | |
| The Sewol ferry incident sparked nationwide mourning, and severe criticism of the government's handling of the rescue operation. | |
| Many of those who died when the ferry sank were teenagers on a school trip. | |
| Prosecutors said Capt Lee "escaped the ship without making any efforts to rescue passengers", AFP news agency reported. | |
| "He made excuses and lied. He showed no repentance... and so we ask for the death sentence," they said. | |
| During the course of the trial Capt Lee repeatedly told the court that he was confused and not in a normal state of mind when the incident occurred. | |
| Prosecutors recommended prison terms of between 15-30 years for the other 11 crew members who were tried on lesser charges as the trial ended in the southern city of Gwangju. | |
| The Sewol had 476 passengers on board when it capsized and began to list off the southern coast of South Korea on 16 April. | |
| Only 172 people survived the tragedy, with Capt Lee and his crew among the first to climb into rescue boats. | |
| There was public outrage after survivors testified that they had been told by the crew to stay where they were even as the boat was starting to sink. |