Sewol ferry captain pleads not guilty

Tuesday marked the beginning of the trial of the 14 crew members on the doomed Sewol ferry, including captain Lee Jon-seok.

Grieving families of the 300 who died on the ship have been waiting for two months for this moment. They met those who came to be trialed with screams of anger and pain.

'For us, time has stopped. When I see students wearing school uniforms, I feel like my child will come back home and say, 'Dad, I'm home,' said one father who lost his child in the tragedy.

As relatives seek justice and punishment for those whom they believe are guilty of killing their loved ones, those on the other side have very different opinions.

Ferry Capt. Lee Jon-seok, for instance, pleaded not guilty to murder charges, his lawyer claiming that he is already living with the guilt of leaving the ship before everyone was rescued.

He added that, to the captain's defence, he was the last of the crew members to be rescued and he had only been captain of Sewol for six days prior to the catastrophe.

Moreover, Jon-seok was not the man in charge of the cargo since excessive loading and improper bonding are thought to be the reason why the ferry had capsized.

'I am concerned that those who are more responsible are shifting blame to the defendant,' said the lawyer while some present in the court were screaming with anger at his statements.

The prosecution was not convinced either by the Jon-seok's lawyer. They are firmly convinced that, had crew members acted differently, caring for passengers and their safety instead of themselves, things would not have turned out the way they did and the over 300 people who died, most of them schoolchildren, might still be alive today.