SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – South Korean prosecutors today detained the head of the company that owns the ferry that sank last month over an allegation of cargo overloading.
Authorities believe improper stowage and overloading of cargo are one possible reason the ferry sank on April 16, leaving more than 300 people dead or missing.
Four employees at the ferry’s owner Chonghaejin Marine Co. Ltd, who handled cargo on the Sewol, have already been arrested.
Kim Han-sik, president of Chonghaejin, was detained today ahead of his possible formal arrest on allegations that he was aware that the ferry exceeded its cargo limit but didn’t do anything before it started it trip, according to senior prosecutor Yang Jung-jin.
Yang said prosecutors are investigating Kim’s actions before deciding if they will request a court to issue a warrant to formally arrest him.
All 15 surviving crew members involved in the ferry’s navigation have been arrested, accused of negligence and failing to protect passengers.
More than three weeks after the sinking, 269 bodies have been retrieved but 35 others are still listed as missing. South Korea’s prime minister said yesterday that officials must try to complete the search for the missing by Saturday as tidal currents were forecast to be weak until then.
