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The captain at the heart of South Korea's ferry disaster acknowledged during his murder trial yesterday that he had erred in leaving an inexperienced crew member at the helm when the vessel capsized.
Testifying for the first time in court, Lee Joon-seok also denied allegations by some of the crew that he was playing games on his mobile phone when the 6,825-tonne Sewol ran into trouble.
The passenger ferry capsized and sank on April 16, with the loss of more than 300 lives - most of them school pupils.
The findings of a five-month investigation by state prosecutors, released on Monday, concluded that a deadly combination of cargo overloading, illegal redesign and poor helmsmanship had caused the disaster.
Lee, 69, said he knew that crew member Cho Jun-ki, who was steering the ship after working on the Sewol for only six months, did not have the required skill or experience.
The Sewol, which was overloaded and top heavy following an illegal refit, made a sharp turn in the channel, causing it to list sharply to one side.
This caused the cargo to shift, and the ferry to capsize and sink.
Lee and three senior crew members are accused of "homicide through wilful negligence" - a charge that can carry the death penalty. Eleven other crew are being tried on lesser violations.
The captain and crew were vilified for abandoning the ferry while hundreds were still trapped inside, and criticised for ordering passengers to remain where they were when the ship began listing.
Asked where he was when the ferry ran into trouble, Lee said he was in his cabin "smoking and changing clothes".
Lee has insisted that the ferry owners are the real culprits as it was their decision to habitually overload the vessel.


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South Korea ferry disaster

Sewol ferry disaster captain admits error in leaving inexperienced crew member at helm, denies playing on phone

South Korean ferry Sewol captain Lee Joon-seok (centre) outside the court after an investigation in April 2014. Photo: Reuters

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The captain at the heart of South Korea's ferry disaster acknowledged during his murder trial that he had erred in leaving an inexperienced crew member at the helm when the vessel capsized.
