• Speculation about NK’s nuclear test growing

    Speculation is mounting about another North Korean nuclear test as heightened activity has been detected at the country’s underground nuclear test site. “Many activities are currently being seen at North Korea’s Punggye-ri nuclear test site,” said Kim Min-seok, spokesman of Ministry of National Defense, Tuesday. “The North can launch a…

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  • Salvage work considered cautiously

    Some relatives of the missing and government officials were cautiously weighing the potential start of work to raise the sunken ferry Sewol as rescue operations entered a seventh day to no avail, Tuesday. While the families demand prioritizing rescue operations over salvaging the ship, there are also growing concerns that…

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  • Inspectors, operators thrive on dirty ties

    Investigations into the sunken ferry Sewol are revealing the extent of cronyism among ship owners and safety inspectors. Allegations of this culture in play is behind a lax safety check of the Sewol ferry which went to sea on the evening of April 15 without important safety standards in place,…

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  • More questions arise for cause

    Questions about the cause of the ferry Sewol’s sinking have been raised because its location tracking records show that the vessel did not make a sharp turn before beginning to list. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries has so far suspected that the vessel lost stability and sank because the…

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  • `Koreans should adhere more to rules to avoid second Sewol’

    Expatriates offered some tough advice for Koreans following the sinking of the ferry Sewol. “I’m saddened by the loss of life from the ferry accident. I believe it stemmed largely from the weakness of safety rules, standards, safety training and the like,” said Joel Levin, an American living in Seoul.…

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  • Ferry captain may be charged with homicide

    The prosecution said Tuesday it is considering filing negligent homicide charges against Captain Lee Joon-seok and two other crewmembers of the sunken ferry Sewol. The captain, a third mate and helmsman were arrested last week, accused of negligence of duty and violation of the Maritime Law. They were among the…

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  • Sunken ship’s captain avoids murder charges

    The captain of the sunken ferry Sewol will unlikely face prosecution for a murder charge, Financial News said Sunday, citing judicial experts. The report quoted prosecutors and lawyers as saying the captain Lee Joon-seok, 69, who ditched the sinking ferry leaving behind passengers, will certainly receive heavy doses of penalty.…

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  • ‘Golden-hour’ indecision doomed passengers

    The transcript of radio communications between the sunken ferry Sewol and a maritime operator on Jindo Island shows how crewmembers on the ill-fated ship wasted the critical early phase of the disaster, known to rescue personnel as the “golden hour.” According to the transcript, released Sunday, the crewmembers apparently gathered…

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  • Search efforts pick up

    Search-and-rescue teams secured more guide ropes onto the sunken ferry Sewol, Monday, gaining further access to the stricken vessel. State-of-the-art remotely-operated vehicles (ROVs) were brought in to look for more bodies. On the sixth day since the tragedy, the death toll stood at 87 as of 11 p.m. out of…

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  • Park likens Sewol skipper to murderer

    President Park Geun-hye vowed Monday to punish all those to blame for the ferry disaster in which the death toll may eventually climb past 300. The Sewol, carrying 476 passengers, sank in waters off the southwestern coast, Wednesday. More than 200 people are still unaccounted for with the death toll…

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