South Korea ferry: Head of the vessel's parent agency has home raided by prosecutors

Kim Hoe-Jong, a prosecutor on the case, said the raid was part of a probe into 'overall corruption in management'.

17:43 23 April 2014

Following a discovery that the head of the family behind Sewol’s ferry parent company had been jailed for four years for fraud in 1990s, prosecutors raided Yoo Byung-un's home and a church linked to him on Wednesday. 

 

Kim Hoe-Jong, a prosecutor on the case, said the raid was part of a probe into "overall corruption in management" related to the doomed South Korea ferry.

 

The sinking of Sewol ferry is now considered the worst maritime disaster for the last 21 years in terms of loss of life. Currently, there were only 174 people who were rescued out of 476 passengers. The ferry sank on a routine trip from the port of Incheon to the southern island of Jeju. 

 

The captain, Lee Joon-Seok and six crew members were arrested on Tuesday and were accused of delaying the evacuation until it was too late and then abandoned the ship while hundreds of passengers remained trapped inside. 

 

More than 70 executives and other people connected with the company and its affiliates have been issued 30-day travel bans while they are investigated on possible charges ranging from criminal negligence to embezzlement.

 

The transcript of the ship's final communication was also recently released: 

 

8.55 a.m. Sewol: "Jeju, do you copy?"

Jeju: "Yes Sewol, this is Jeju."

Sewol: "Contact the coastguard. The ship is in danger. The ship is listing."

8.56 a.m. Jeju: "Where is your ship? We'll contact the coastguard."

Sewol: "The ship is capsizing. We can't move. Come quickly. We are next to Byeongpung Island."

Jeju: "Roger that."

Jeju to coastguard: "Emergency call made."

8.58 a.m. Jeju: "Sewol, this is Jeju, do you copy? Sewol, this is Jeju."

Sewol: "Jeju, this is the Sewol."

9.00 a.m. Jeju: "Sewol, this is Jeju."

Sewol: "Yes, this is the Sewol."

Jeju: "How is the situation right now?"

Sewol: "The ship is listed to the left. Containers have fallen."

Jeju: "OK. What about the passengers?"

Sewol: "We can't confirm. The ship is listed so we can't move."

Jeju: "OK. Make passengers wear life jackets and get ready in case you need to abandon ship."

Sewol: "It's difficult for the passengers to move now."

Jeju: "OK."

9.05 a.m. Sewol: "Jeju, this is the Sewol. Do you copy?"

Jeju: "Yes, Sewol, this is Jeju."

Sewol: "What's happening with the coastguard?"

Jeju: "We've notified the coastguard. We are on the line with Jindo VTS (vessel traffic services) and Wando (another island) VTS. Stand by."