Sewol ferry skipper gets 36-year prison sentence
The captain of the South Korean ferry that sank in April, killing more than 300 mostly teenaged passengers has been handed down a 36-year prison sentence.
Prosecutors had sought the death penalty of Lee Joon-sook, who had abandoned the overloaded ferry while hundreds of passengers and crew remained trapped inside.
However, the court in the city of Gwangju found 68-year-old Lee not guilty of murder but guilty of a lesser charge of gross negligence and dereliction of duty.
The overloaded Sewol ferry had capsized while making a turn during a voyage to the holiday island of Jeju.
Only 172 out of 476 passengers were rescued and almost seven months later, nine people are still unaccounted for.
In the death toll, 250 were students from the same high school.
Thirteen surviving crew members were found guilty of various charges and given sentences ranging from five to 30 years in prison.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Strike action set to cause travel chaos at Brussels airports