South Korean ferry captain sentenced to 36 years in prison

SEOUL, South Korea — The captain of a ferry that sank earlier this year, leaving more than 300 people dead and shocking South Korea, was given a 36-year prison sentence Tuesday for negligence and abandoning his passengers.

The highly anticipated verdict came amid continuing grief and finger-pointing over one of the worst disasters in South Korean history. Family members of the victims, most of whom were teenagers, immediately criticized the sentence for Capt. Lee Joon-seok and other crew members as too lenient, some weeping and shouting during the court proceedings.

"Do you know how many children are dead?" one relative said, according to a defense lawyer. Read more...

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