By Jun Ji-hye
Investigators are examining the content of phone calls made from the captain and crewmembers of the Sewol ferry to the ship’s operator, Chonghaejin Marine, around the time the vessel was sinking off the southwest coast of Jindo.
“Right after the accident, the first mate made reports to Chonghaejin Marine a number of times, and the company also had a separate phone conversation with Captain Lee Joon-seok,” said an official from a joint investigation team.
The team did not disclose details of the conversations, as their investigation is continuing.
But investigators reportedly suspect that the company sent orders to crewmembers to try and normalize conditions on the tilting ferry and continue operating, given that the crew instructed passengers to remain in their cabins and other rooms, rather than telling them to go on deck and prepare to abandon ship.
If the company told Lee to abandon the ferry and save all passengers, the captain would not have ordered passengers people to remain where they were.
The phone calls were made between 8:50 a.m. and 9:38 on April 16 when the ship capsized.
Captain Lee and a number of other crewmembers were among the first to be rescued at around 9:30 a.m., ignoring their duty to save nearly 300 passengers trapped inside the vessel.
A total of 15 crewmembers responsible for operating the Sewol including Captain Lee have been arrested on charges of violating the maritime law.
The investigation team is seeking to establish whether Chonghaejin Marine ordered the captain to evacuate the vessel.
If it is established that the company focused on “saving the ship,” rather than pursuing proper action to save passengers first following the accident, CEO Kim Han-sik and other executives could face charges of accidental homicide.
There are also reportedly suspicions that the company prioritized trying to establish whether crewmembers made mistakes while operating the ship before carrying out the vital actions needed to save passengers, in fear of possibly losing insurance compensation after the accident.
“We are reviewing all content of telephone conversations between crewmembers and the operator,” said the official of the investigation team.
The team also confirmed that a chief engineer and another sailor changed back into civilian clothes before being rescued, which runs counter to their earlier testimony that they made a hasty escape from the vessel.
Commentators on social media networks suggested some crewmembers tried to conceal their identity this way.
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