After a five month trial Sewol Captain Lee Jun-seok, aged 69, has been found guilty for a host of serious omissions.

Three judges of the Guangzhou courthouse did not follow the DA’s suggestion for the death penalty.

The family members of victims present at the meeting reacted strongly when they found out that the death penalty was off the table, even if it hasn’t been implemented in South Korea since 1997.

Sewol’s captain rushed to abandon ship, on April 16th near south Korea, leaving hundreds of passengers trapped inside.

During the trial, the captain said that he deserved the death penalty but stated that he never meant to sacrifice the lives of the passengers. “I panicked. I was unable to do anything. I did not take the necessary precautions, which led to so many deaths”. The court showed leniency towards three more members of the crew and imposed jail sentences of 15 to 30 years, instead of life imprisonment.