The chief engineer received 30 years, and 13 other crew members were sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.

 

This comes just after an announcement from the South Korean maritime¹ minister Lee Ju-young declaring the end of the underwater search for remaining victims of the disaster who have not been found. 

 

"I am here to announce the end of the underwater search operation to find missing² passengers. I cannot help feeling sad and also sorry (towards the bereaved) to end this search without keeping the promise to find every single person."

 

A majority of relatives of those still missing voted in favour of calling a halt³, in response to which the government decided⁴ to close the operation.

 

Min Dong-im, wife of a missing teacher and representative for the families of the missing, expresses her sadness at the search's end. 

 

"Like the government's promise to return every last person to their families' arms, we appeal with dear hearts to find the nine missing persons who are yet waiting for us under that cold water."

 

The overloaded⁵ Sewol capsized on April 16 while making a turn during a routine⁶ voyage to the island of Jeju. The ferry was carrying 476 people when it went down. More than 300 died, most of them students.

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