South Korean president lashes out at ferry captain's 'murderous behavior'
Getty Images/CHUNG SUNG-JUN

On Monday, South Korea's president blasted the actions of the captain and crew of the ferry that sank last Wednesday for committing "unforgivable, murderous behavior." The captain, 68-year-old Lee Joon-seok, is being heavily criticized for telling passengers to stay in their rooms as the ferry started sinking and allegedly waiting a half hour before issuing evacuation orders. The disaster left more than 300 people, mostly teenagers on a school trip, missing or dead.
"What the captain and part of the crew did is unfathomable from the viewpoint of common sense, unforgivable, murderous behavior," said President Park Geun-hye at a briefing. She denounced Lee's decision to ignore marine traffic controllers' instructions to help passengers escape as he and some of the crew became among the first to be rescued from the doomed vessel. "Legally and ethically," she said, "this is an unimaginable act."
The president's comments came while Lee and two crew members are under arrest for suspicion of negligence. An additional four crew members were detained Monday.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jordan Valinsky is the lead writer for Speed Reads. Before joining The Week, he wrote for New York Observer's tech blog, Betabeat, and tracked the intersection between popular culture and the internet for The Daily Dot. He graduated with a degree in online journalism from Ohio University.
-
June 29 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include the AI genie, Iran saving face, and bad language bombs
-
A tall ship adventure in the Mediterranean
The Week Recommends Sailing aboard this schooner and exploring Portugal, Spain and Monaco is a 'magical' experience
-
How drone warfare works
The Explainer From Ukraine to Iran, it has become clear that unmanned aircraft are rapidly revolutionising modern warfare
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read