Arirangnews

ARIRANG NEWS 09:00 Search operations continue on sunken Sewol-ho ferry

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Duration: 4:50
Updated: 25 Apr 2014

Latest search operations for the sunken ferry have been focused on its third- and fourth-deck cabins, where most of the missing victims are believed to be trapped. Working during the last remaining critical hours of favorable weather conditions Thursday evening, Coast Guard, Navy and civilian rescue workers and divers recovered more than 20 bodies overnight. As for the current death toll, one hundred-eighty-one people have now been confirmed dead. One-hundred-twenty-one others remain unaccounted for. Divers also say there were no air pockets inside the sunken ferry...reducing the chance of possible survivors after the ship submerged completely underwater. But the search will continue... as parents of the missing have requested the ferry not be lifted out of water until every body is recovered.

http://wn.com/ARIRANG_NEWS_0900_Search_operations_continue_on_sunken_Sewol-ho_ferry

ARIRANG NEWS 16:00 Korean ferry disaster: day 23

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Duration: 26:41
Updated: 08 May 2014

More than three weeks have passed since the Sewol-ho ferry capsized off the southwestern coast of Korea... and over 30 passengers still remain missing. For more... Kim Ji-yeon joins us in the news center. Ji-yeon, what's the latest? The ferry's operator will no longer be allowed to business. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries says it will revoke the business license of the Chonghaejin Marine Company today. The ministry did say earlier that it would start the process after formal investigations proceeded against the ferry operator. But in light of recent developments that demonstrate negligence on the part of the captain and crew members,... it's clear the ministry is not going to wait. Speaking of investigations... the representative of the ferry operator, Kim Han-sik was arrested earlier this morning. What were the charges? The CEO of Chonghaejin Marine Company, Kim Han-sik was arrested on multiple charges that include negligent homicide. The prosecutors are trying to prove that the ferry operator had knowledge of the vessel's problems... but continued to transport passengers and cargo for the sake of profits. The investigative team contends that the overloading of cargo on the Sewol-ho ferry would not have been possible without the approval of the ferry operator's CEO. Through the investigation into Kim, prosecutors are also trying to close in on the de facto owner of the ferry operator, Yoo Byung-eun for business irregularities that may have contributed to the ferry sinking. But investigators are having a tough time getting those closest to Yoo... to show up for questioning. One of his sons, who has permanent residency in the United States, failed to appear for a third time today. So the prosecutors are seeking to force him into the country with the help of the FBI. Shifting gears, there have been no additional bodies found for the past 24 hours due to difficult weather conditions. Any development in the search operations? Operations were temporarily suspended due to strong currents... and it's getting dangerous for all those involved... with the search efforts continuing around the clock. There are a rising number of injuries among volunteers and officers participating. More than 20 divers have been taken to a nearby hospital after showing symptoms of decompression sickness, a diver's disease that includes acute pain. The coast guard official that was found unconscious yesterday... is fortunately doing better today after undergoing surgery. More medical staff have been deployed to the scene since a civilian diver died earlier this week... but there's criticism that there need to be more adaquate measures to ensure the safety of civilian search divers. Thank you Jiyeon.

http://wn.com/ARIRANG_NEWS_1600_Korean_ferry_disaster_day_23

ARIRANG NEWS 08:00 Divers break through windows of sunken ferry, retrieve bodies

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Duration: 25:41
Updated: 20 Apr 2014

We have news just coming in that 10 more bodies have been retrieved from the site... by a private rescue team... For the latest on this and the search and rescue operation... we go straight over to our Connie Lee at the Arirang News Center... Connie the death toll rose overnight and it seems that the discovery of more bodies this morning will add to this figure... fill us in... Yes, Jin-joo-- just about ten minutes ago... we heard that private rescue teams have found 10 more bodies-- Now we don't know yet if the bodies were found inside or outside the sunken ferry... or how many were male or female. We'll keep you updated on this as news comes in... But on this Sunday... we can now say the bodies could have been found inside the sunken ferry... since last night... { }rescuers broke into the windows of the sunken ferry to retrieve three bodies. Just before midnight yesterday... divers were able to successfully smash through windows between the third and fourth floor.. of the sunken vessel... and retrieve three bodies. Officials say the bodies are of three males... all from Danwon [ ] High School. They were the same bodies that divers spotted earlier in the day... but couldn't retrieve them then. But as divers are working on breaking through more windows... this could mean that the process of finding more bodies could speed up. I should also add that before the retrieval of these three bodies... officials had found two bodies... of females... in the waters, around the ferry. Jin-joo? We certainly didn't want to see this death toll rise any further... but it seems that it would be inevitable... now, investigation is ongoing on what exactly happened with the ferry-- Just yesterday... three crew members have been arrested-- what's the latest on them? New details emerged.... that the third mate... { } the young 25-year-old, who was at the helm of the ship when it sank... was steering the vessel into those challenging waters for the first time. Only known by her surname Park... she had just 6-months of experience... and prosecutors say she had NEVER navigated through the waters where the ferry crashed. Investigators are now focusing on the sharp turn the vessel took... before it started listing--- Park said she doesn't made a turn that drastic. Authorities are also looking into whether or not an evacuation order was properly sent out... as you know, the captain of the ship... Lee Joon-seok... claims he did tell passengers to evacuate when the vessel was sinking. As for the captain... he is charged with five violations... and if convicted... he could face up to life in prison. I hear.. the operator of the Sewol-ho ferry... Chonghaejin Marine Company is also under investigation... Tell us more. Yes. Investigators have found that the company has an awful safety record. { } Files show the company has had accidents stemming from engine trouble or collisions on a regular basis every two to three years. Its most recent accident ... was just three weeks ago. This involved a collision of its passenger ship and a fishing boat during thick fog conditions. In that case... all 1-hundred-41 passengers escaped injury or death. Records also show the company failing to properly communicate to passengers and accept responsibility for mechanical failures. Jin-joo. The investigators will have a lot to look into over this ferry disaster... Thanks Connie for the latest.

http://wn.com/ARIRANG_NEWS_0800_Divers_break_through_windows_of_sunken_ferry,_retrieve_bodies

ARIRANG NEWS 22:00(Weekend) Mourners say goodbyes to victims of Sewol-ho ferry accident

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Duration: 25:16
Updated: 26 Apr 2014

Almost one-hundred-thousand people have visited a temporary group memorial altar set up in Ansan,... the city most touched by the accident,... as more than 300 students from a high school there were on board the ill-fated ferry. We go over to our Kwon Soa,... who is at Ansan Olympic Memorial Hall. Soa, it's the weekend so I'm sure many more people have paid their respects today... Yes, Mark... I have been here since the morning and the city was and is still full of Ansan citizens as well as people from across the country, mainly dressed in black... who have been coming into Olympic Memorial Hall all day to say their goodbyes to the victims of the Sewol-ho ferry accident. Even at this late hour,... hundreds of people are standing in several lines that stretch out into the streets near the hall, to pay their respects to the now 118 students and teachers of Danwon High School whose pictures are displayed here... in front of which the mourners lay down white flowers. Well over 100-thousand people have visited the memorial so far, since it opened last Wednesday, and some say they have come more than once. And around 70-thousand text messages of condolences have been sent, which are being displayed on one of the screens here.

http://wn.com/ARIRANG_NEWS_2200Weekend_Mourners_say_goodbyes_to_victims_of_Sewol-ho_ferry_accident

ARIRANG NEWS 21:00 Sunken ferry crew requested steering gear repair before accident

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Duration: 26:37
Updated: 23 Apr 2014

Turning back to the investigation into the ferry sinking... another solid piece has been added to the puzzle of what may have caused the Sewol-ho to capsize abruptly. Only a few weeks ago... crew of the Sewol-ho ferry reported that the ship's steering unit showed malfunctions. Our Park Ji-won has the details on how the repair request fell upon deaf ears. This is a repair request form submitted by the crew of the Sewol-ho ferry to ferry operator Chonghaejin Marine Company about two weeks before the tragic accident. It says... that the steering gear of the now-sunken ferry was sending "No Voltage" warnings. To use the steering equipment, crew members said they had to reset the power, and rely on an on-board power supply while they were waiting for power to be restored. The request form added... the fundamental cause of the issue was unknown. However,... the ferry operator took no action on the issue. Korean broadcaster YTN reported Wednesday... that a ship repair company that had worked on the Sewol-ho ferry before,... said it had not repaired the steering gear of Sewol-ho-ferry anytime recently,... nor had it received any repair requests about the steering gear.

http://wn.com/ARIRANG_NEWS_2100_Sunken_ferry_crew_requested_steering_gear_repair_before_accident

ARIRANG NEWS 19:00 Prosecutors raid offices of Korea Shipping Association

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Duration: 26:35
Updated: 23 Apr 2014

With the investigation into this tragic disaster widening and speeding up, more crew members now find themselves in custody. For more, we now turn to our Laah Hyun-kyung standing by at the news center. Hyun-kyung, what's the latest? The special prosecutorial team is broadening the scope of their investigation. Authorities are now looking for irregularities in the overall port operation business. Offices of the Korea Shipping Association were raided just a couple of hours ago. And that comes after the team raided some 10 offices and homes of the practical owner of the Sewol-ho ferry operator, Yoo Byung-eon, earlier in the day. Prosecutors are closely looking into whether Yoo and his two sons, have made illegal overseas transactions, evaded taxes or embezzled funds. Yoo's two sons are the biggest shareholders of the ferry operator's holding company. The Yoo family reportedly owns assets worth more than 230 million dollars - excluding debt and assets kept outside of the country. And since yesterday, the National Tax Service is conducting a special probe into four firms closely related to Chonghaejin Marine Company. Dozens of personnel, including Yoo and the two sons, are currently under a travel ban. And some screenshots from the time of the accident show that the crew COULD have released some of the life floats? Yes, and that's contrary to what one of the arrested crew members said yesterday. Take a look.

http://wn.com/ARIRANG_NEWS_1900_Prosecutors_raid_offices_of_Korea_Shipping_Association

ARIRANG NEWS 18:00 Ferry disaster: Search operation slowed down

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Duration: 26:09
Updated: 26 Apr 2014

ARIRANG NEWS 18:00(Weekend) (THIS IS THE TRANSCRIPT FOR ARIRANG NEWS THAT AIRED ON 26 Apr 2014- 18:00 KST.) Title: TITLE Title: Opening Hello.... and thanks for joining us. To our viewers here in Korea and around the world, it's SIX P.M. on Saturday, April twenty-sixth here in Seoul. I'm Mark Broome... and you're tuned into our ongoing coverage of the Sewol-ho ferry disaster. Title: 1 Ferry disaster: Search operation slowed down Search operations are now into the eleventh day at the site of the accident. The pace of recovering bodies from the ferry has slowed as the authorities and divers struggle amid inclement weather conditions and powerful currents. For the latest, we are going to connect to our Song Ji-sun , at Paengmok-hang Harbor - the nearest point of land... to the accident site. Ji-sun... Mark. As you mentioned, it's been a slow day here. The sky has been grim since early afternoon and rain is forecast for the evening. With the wind and currents getting stronger, rescuers can only get into the water at certain times -- and only two time windows are open for later tonight at around six-thirty and after midnight.

http://wn.com/ARIRANG_NEWS_1800_Ferry_disaster_Search_operation_slowed_down

ARIRANG NEWS 17:00 Conflicting reports on vessel entry by divers

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Duration: 23:44
Updated: 18 Apr 2014

We've been hearing uplifting reports only to be disappointed again. But now it seems we have some positive developments from the South Korean rescue team... For more details,... we'll go to our Hwang Sung-hee, at the Central Disaster Safety Headquarters in Seoul. Sung-hee, it seems like we've been getting conflicting reports all day long. What's the latest. The Coast Guard has confirmed two divers from the South Korean Navy succeeded in entering a compartment on the second floor of the vessel. The second floor is where cargos is stored. The Coast Guard said the divers also entered the steering room. BUT... this comes after officials at the Central Disaster Safety Headquarters said their earlier announcement... of a successful entry into the cafeteria of the capsized vessel was inaccurate. It had said that the rescue team installed three guidelines that can reach the cafeteria and that divers would begin full-scale rescue operations beginning at 3 p.m. Korea time today, which was about an hour ago. Experts say the latest news of the two divers entering the second floor means that the rescue team is in the very early stages of the actual rescue operation. More than two days have passed since the Sewol-ho ferry capsized... and additional bodies are being recovered at the site... but no news of any more survivors. The bodies of two male students were recovered about 500 meters away from the capsized vessel earlier this afternoon. This comes after the body of a middle-aged man who was wearing a life jacket, was recovered in the morning, putting the total confirmed death toll at 28. Twelve bodies have been confirmed as being high school students, two teachers, three crew members and one passenger. 10 bodies have yet to be identified, but seven are believed to be high school students. 268 people still remain missing, and unfortunately, the number of survivors remains unchanged. Thank you for that update, Sung-hee. That was Hwang Sung-hee reporting from the Central Disaster Safety Headquarters in Seoul.

http://wn.com/ARIRANG_NEWS_1700_Conflicting_reports_on_vessel_entry_by_divers

ARIRANG NEWS 21:00 Fifteen more bodies retrieved, raising death toll to 80

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Duration: 23:55
Updated: 21 Apr 2014

It's been more than five full days now since Korea's worst ferry disaster in two decades, with search-and-rescue operations continuing through the day and into night. Unfortunately... no survivors have been found and the death toll continues to rise. Let's go live to our Ji Myung-kil standing by at Paengmok-hang Harbor,... which is just 20 kilometers from the accident scene. Myung-kil... what's the latest body count? Within the past hour FIFTEEN more bodies have been recovered, raising the confirmed death toll to 80. Rescue teams are currently focusing their search on the third and fourth floors. More than 200 coast guard ships and navy vessels, 13 fishing boats, 35 aircraft and more than 500 divers have been deployed today. Two remotely controlled submersibles are also searching inside the sunken ferry with the help of two U.S. experts. How many people are we still missing? We are still missing 222 people from the sunken Sewol-ho ferry and nearly 90 percent of those are from Danwon High School in Ansan. Family members of the missing took a boat ride to the site of the sinking, earlier today. Search-and-rescue operations will also continue throughout the night as the divers will be working around the clock. Flares and fishing boats with powerful lights will help the divers operate in the dark. Currently,... six guide ropes are attached to the vessel. How will the weather conditions look tonight? The weather conditions seem favorable with winds reaching 5 meters per second and tidal waves reaching the 1-meter level. This has been Ji Myung-kil reporting from Paengmok-hang harbor.

http://wn.com/ARIRANG_NEWS_2100_Fifteen_more_bodies_retrieved,_raising_death_toll_to_80

ARIRANG NEWS 14:00 Sewol-ho ferry tragedy: Day 15

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Duration: 20:56
Updated: 30 Apr 2014

Two weeks have passed since the tragic Sewol-ho ferry disaster put the entire nation in a state of shock, sorrow and frustration. The number of confirmed dead has surpassed the 200 mark, but more than ninety people still remain unaccounted for. For a look at the latest developments on the search-and-rescue front as well as an ongoing investigation... our Kwon Soa joins us live from the news center. Soa, compared to last the few days... the weather seems to have gotten much better. Is it working in favor of the search and rescue efforts down at the accident site? Connyoung, the answer to your question is yes and no. But, first let me give you a quick rundown on where we stand in terms of the death toll. The current death toll in the Sewol-ho ferry accident stands at 210. Five bodies were retrieved at around 3 a.m. this Wednesday on the left side of the fourth floor of the ship, and in the lobby on the fifth floor. Search operations continue today, but search divers are encountering problems. Although the weather conditions are favorable with clear skies, the tides are high, and the currents fast... Even during one of the more calm hours this morning, divers failed to get into the ship. Around 20 minutes from now, the waters are expected to be at their calmest again and will stay that way for about two hours, so rescue crews will do what they can during the period to gain better access inside the ferry. They'll also get another chance at around 9 this evening. Let's hope that this crucial time window brings positive news. Soa, can you give us more details on how the operations are unfolding today? The navy, maritime police and civilian divers will continue with the search today... focusing on the fourth floor, where initially most of the missing were thought to be, but also on the fifth floor lobby, where many of the recently retrieved bodies were located. The commander of the recovery operation thinks the bodies found in the lobby were of students who had been on the fourth floor. "As the waters started coming in,... the students probably instinctively rushed to the upper floor..." The students most likely tried to make their way up the stairs to the fifth floor, to get onto the deck of the ship..., But, unfortunately they were not able to get out. Meanwhile, a diving bell, which would allow divers to stay underwater for longer periods of time, could not be deployed earlier in the day due to the rough water conditions, but another try will be made this afternoon. Soa, what's the latest on the criminal negligence charges being brought against several people associated with the accident? The special investigation team is speeding up its probes, especially regarding the practical owner of the ferry operator, Yoo Byung-eon. One of seven key figures linked to Yoo, the CEO of the cosmetics company Dapanda named Song Kook-bin, was questioned at the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office this morning on suspicion of corruption. As for the Yoo family, prosecutors are looking into first summoning the members currently in the country, which includes Yoo's children. Meanwhile, the latest investigation reveals that the Sewol-ho ferry had been put on sale a month before the accident. It was being sold for an amount that would have resulted in financial losses of roughly 5-point-8 million dollars... Investigators are trying to figure out why. That's all I have for now, but I'll be back with more updates in our further newscast.

http://wn.com/ARIRANG_NEWS_1400_Sewol-ho_ferry_tragedy_Day_15

ARIRANG NEWS 10:00 Ansan Hwarang Memorial Hall opens to public

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Duration: 25:24
Updated: 29 Apr 2014

The entire nation has been grieving for the victims of the Sewol-ho ferry disaster for days now... and on this Tuesday a much larger memorial altar opens at a park in Ansan... the city so awfully touched by this tragedy. Rain continues to fall across the country but that hasn't stopped tens of thousands of people paying tribute to those who died. We connect live to our Ji Myung-kil who is standing-by at the Ansan Hwarang Memorial Hall. Myung-gil.... Good morning... this new memorial hall opened earlier this morning and people have been streaming in to say their last goodbyes. Three hours ago President Park Geun-hye visited the memorial hall and paid tribute to the Sewol-ho ferry victims... she also spoke to the relatives of victims. As you mentioned,... the altar has been relocated to this park in Ansan as the number of mourners has grown and grown in recent days. The Ansan Hwarang Memorial Hall is six times larger than the previous altar which was at Ansan Olympic Memorial Hall. The altar displays portraits of the victims... including 152 students and four teachers from Ansan's Danwon High School. Over the past six days... some 180-thousand people have visited the altars set up in this city. It seems as though the city has been overwhelmed by the sheer number of people wanting to say their last goodbyes. How will the new altar be run and can anyone go down to pay their respects? Yes, they can. The new memorial hall will be open for 24 hours and everyone is free to pay tribute to the people who so tragically lost their lives. The new altar is run by the government and will be jointly sponsored by Ansan City and Gyeonggi-do Province. To handle the volume of people coming here,... more than 30 shuttle buses will be laid on to help people get to-and-from nearby subway stations. There's also a huge parking lot with room for nearly 3-thousand cars right next to the altar. People who can't make it here can instead send text messages or personal letters commemorating the victims. The messages are posted up on a bulletin board so they can be read by mourners paying their respects here. This was Ji Myung-kil reporting from Ansan Hwarang Memorial Altar.

http://wn.com/ARIRANG_NEWS_1000_Ansan_Hwarang_Memorial_Hall_opens_to_public

ARIRANG NEWS 20:00 Ansan. Jindo island areas designated as special disaster zones

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Duration: 25:54
Updated: 20 Apr 2014

Thanks for joining us... as we continue our coverage of the search-and-rescue operation from a sunken ferry off Korea's southwest. It's Sunday,... April 20th here in Seoul. I'm Choi You-sun. Title: Ansan. Jindo island areas designated as special disaster zones The government has just declared the two areas affected by the accident as special disaster zones. One is Ansan in Gyeonggi-do Province, near the capital Seoul, the other is Jindo Island in the southwestern province of Jeollanam-do. For details, we now go to our Laah Hyun-kyung, standing by at the news center. Hyun-kyung. You-sun, the government has designated those two areas as special disaster zones. Ansan is where Danwon High School is -- the high school where most of the students on the ferry were from. And Jindo Island is where Paengmok-hang harbor is -- the harbor closest to the sunken ferry. With the government's approval, the two areas will be able to swiftly receive state funds for the search and rescue operations. Also, local taxes including acquisition taxes and registration taxes will be waived. Other general taxes will either be reduced, or the payment deadline will be postponed for up to nine months. Financial assistance to the victims and their families will be made... as well as to those that are still waiting for their loved ones to return. This is the seventh time the Korean government has designated special disaster zones. Past cases include the collapse of Sampoong department store in 1995, which resulted in 1-thousand-4-hundred-45 casualties. And a major oil spill in Taean County in the country's west coast in 2007, which caused more than 7-hundred million dollars worth of financial damage. And Hyun-kyung, earlier in the afternoon, the transcript and an audio file of what was communicated between the sinking Sewol-ho ferry and the marine traffic control center for the area have been made public. Yes, they were released but what people are wondering is why the crew members left the sinking ferry before the passengers on board. Take a listen. As you can hear, it's difficult to make out what the two sides are saying exactly. But what is evident is that the situation sounds quite urgent. Now, the released transcript shows that the control center first contacted the sinking ferry at 9:06 a.m. Wednesday. They contacted each other eleven times and communicated for 31 minutes. You can see at 9:12 a.m. the ferry was already severely tilted and the crew member who was talking to the control center already knew that the people on board were not able to move. At around 9:25, the control center told the ferry to decide whether to order passengers to abandon the vessel, since it didn't know the situation there. But the ferry said it was unable to make announcements because its speaker system was down by that time. And the last time the two made contact was at 9:37 a.m.,... during which the ferry told the control tower that only the people who were able to escape to the left side of the ferry were able to leave the vessel.

http://wn.com/ARIRANG_NEWS_2000_Ansan_Jindo_island_areas_designated_as_special_disaster_zones

ARIRANG NEWS 20:00 Memorial altars set up in 17 cities and provinces

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Duration: 25:26
Updated: 28 Apr 2014

On our broadcast tonight,... Unfavorable weather and tidal conditions hamper the search-and-rescue operations nearby the sunken Sewol-ho ferry. A newly-released video show the ship's crew fleeing the vessel without warning passengers. With the government under fire for its mismanagement of the Sewol-ho ferry disaster and the prime minister's resignation, speculation is brewing that a major cabinet reshuffle is on the horizon. PLUS... North Korea strongly rebukes President Park Geun-hye and U.S. President Barack Obama's reaffirmation last Friday that they stand united in confronting the North's nuclear ambitions. These stories and more next on Arirang News at 8.

http://wn.com/ARIRANG_NEWS_2000_Memorial_altars_set_up_in_17_cities_and_provinces

ARIRANG NEWS 20:00 Latest on investigation: Additional crew members arrested

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Duration: 25:04
Updated: 23 Apr 2014

As we find out more about what exactly happened at the time of the accident,... anger continues to grow among families of the victims,.. who have been criticizing the government for its slow response. For more we connect live to our Yoo Li-an standing by at the news center. Li-an, tell us more. You-sun, there were a number of things the families of the victims wanted to see out at the site of the accident. For instance, a barge,.. which can be used by rescuers to rest and better prepare for dives. These barges were needed by the divers who were struggling against strong tides and the cold temperatures underwater. The demand was made last Wednesday,... but done on Saturday. And that's not all. Take a look. "We parents were demanding barges. We also asked for squid fishing boats. The government only tried to come up with countermeasures after everything happened." Squid fishing boats have powerful lights that that help rescue divers operate at night,.. and they were deployed Saturday, on the fourth day of rescue operations. Li-an, it seems like everyone is passing along the blame -- while the families are pointing their fingers at the government's response,.. prosecutors continue their investigation into the crew members and the captain. And those in custody have just recently been charged with homicide... That's right. Eleven of the 15 crew members, of course including the captain that escaped the Sewol-ho ferry, have been taken into custody and they are now being charged with negligent homicide. The charge is placed on those who have failed to carry out rescue operations resulting in deaths,... and carries a three-year jail sentence. Now these crew members have been undergoing intense investigation. Four of them have conveyed severe psychological distress and are receiving medical treatment at a hospital. Li-an, the ferry's operator, the Chonghaejin Marine Company, is also under fire. Tell us more.

http://wn.com/ARIRANG_NEWS_2000_Latest_on_investigation_Additional_crew_members_arrested

ARIRANG NEWS 19:00 Korea - U.S. summit news conference

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Duration: 23:58
Updated: 25 Apr 2014

ARIRANG NEWS 19:00 Korea - U.S. summit news conference

http://wn.com/ARIRANG_NEWS_1900_Korea_US_summit_news_conference

ARIRANG NEWS 10:00 No survivors found, death toll continues to rise

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Duration: 25:47
Updated: 24 Apr 2014

Divers are stepping up their search of the capsized ferry on this Thursday... as hope has all but vanished that isolated pockets of air might be able to support any of the one-hundred-43 passengers still unaccounted for. Let's go over to Ji Myung-kil who is standing by at Paengmok-hang harbor,... the nearest port from the accident site. Fill us in the latest. Good morning, Mark, it's sad to say but the death toll is rising and currently stands at 159. Realizing now that it would be the miracle of all miracles to find any survivors now, the families of the missing have began discussing funeral arrangements for their loved one and have vowed to stay until everyone has been recovered. Some families were worried that once families find their loved ones they'll leave the scene. Many families are coming back and forth, checking the missing list trying to match the descriptions with their loved ones. A temporary funeral parlor capable of handling some 180 bodies is currently providing funeral services. As for the search-and-rescue operations... I believe divers are entering a new phase in the search? Yes, that's correct. Today's rescue operations will include the largest number of personnel yet... they have been focusing their search on the third and fourth floors of the vessel but no air pockets have been found. Divers are focusing their search on the center of the fourth floor where the cabins are... where most of the missing are believed to have been trapped. More than 200 rescue ships, 34 aircraft and over 500 divers are conducting the search-and-rescue operations. Underwater drone vehicles have not yielded many results as they struggled to work in the dark, murky waters and amid the strong currents. But it seems like there are still messages of hope and support there on site. Yes, behind me are yellow ribbons ... praying for the safe return of the missing passengers. It's been over a week since the tragedy, and messages of support for those still missing in the sunken ship were sent to Paengmok-hang Harbor from across the nation as well. The messages said "We love you all" and that "miracles will happen." This has been Ji Myung-kil reporting from Paengmok-hang Harbor.

http://wn.com/ARIRANG_NEWS_1000_No_survivors_found,_death_toll_continues_to_rise

ARIRANG NEWS 16:00 Heroes from Sewol tragedy honored by government

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Duration: 26:13
Updated: 12 May 2014

For as much attention as has been given to the acts of the Sewol-ho ferry captain and crew who abandoned the vessel with hundreds still on board,... there are countless other stories of heroes... who put others' lives before theirs. The government on Monday officially recognized three of them as 'martyrs.' Twenty-two-year-old Park Ji-young , a part-time worker on the ferry,... will be remembered for staying on board to hand out life vests,... even foregoing one herself. Kim Ki-woong , and Jung Hyun-seon , an engaged couple,... could have been rescued from the severely listing ferry but decided instead to go back inside to help others escape. All three died. Being designated as a martyr by the government means they can be buried at a national cemetery. It also makes their bereaved families eligible for financial compensation, medical assistance and other incentives. In addition to these three heroes,... the government is reviewing a list of others who were aboard the Sewol-ho for the martyr designation.

http://wn.com/ARIRANG_NEWS_1600_Heroes_from_Sewol_tragedy_honored_by_government

ARIRANG NEWS 10:00 Live updates from Jindo gymnasium

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Duration: 25:58
Updated: 23 Apr 2014

It's been a devastating and torturous week for the families of the missing... with nothing they could do... but just wait for any news of their sons and daughters... who were on-board the ill-fated ferry. They are growing increasingly angry... as details continue to emerge about the sinking... and the failing rescue operation. The families have been staying at a gymnasium near the accident site in Jindo... where our Hwang Ji-hye joins us live.... Ji-hye, how are the families doing? The families are now nearing complete exhuastion both physically and mentally. As more days pass,... it's getting more difficult for families to cope with the passing hours not knowing what news they will hear IF ANY about their missing children. The frustration has once boiled over with the families saying descriptions of the newly discovered bodies were not detailed enough,... slowing the procedure of identifying the bodies. A Coast Guard official promised the families at the podium this morning... that authorities will do their best to give precise information. He went on to explain the characteristics of the unidentified... and the whole gymnasium fell silent,... with families desperately staring at the television screen showing the list of descriptions. There are still 9 bodies that have not been sent back home. And trying to offer them some sort of comfort and support... volunteers from across the nation are gathering to this auditorium... Tell us about them.. Yes, while the whole country is hopefully waiting for news of survivors, along with the families here, hundreds of volunteer workers came to the Jindo gymnasium to support the families here... and to encourage the families desperately waiting for their missing ones, to stay strong. "I'm also a parent. I don't know how much these supplies can heal the sorrow of the families but since they're sent from across the nation, I'm working day and night to distribute them to the families, hoping they will provide comfort for them, at least a little." "I came here today to support the families here. And because there were already so many volunteer workers, I feel bad that I can't help them more." There are now fewer and fewer relatives of the victims staying at the gymnasium now... as more bodies are being discovered and identified. The families are leaving to tend to their loved ones. The families that are still here, however, are clinging on to hope that survivors will be found. There are notes at the entrance of the gymnasium,... and one of them reads.... "Come back soon honey, so we can have dinner together." Families of the missing... have not given up. This has been Hwang Ji-hye reporting live from the Jindo Gymnasium.

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ARIRANG NEWS 15:00 Latest on investigation; additional crew members arrested

Order: Reorder
Duration: 25:04
Updated: 23 Apr 2014

With the investigation into this tragic disaster widening and speeding up, more crew members now find themselves in custody. For more, we turn to our Laah Hyun-kyung at the news center. Hyun-kyung. 11 out of the 15 crew members that were on board the sunken ferry are now either detained or arrested. Among those is the captain -- Captain Lee Joon-suk who is charged with five offenses including negligence of duty and violating ship crew law. The ship crew law mandates the crew to secure the safety of all passengers in emergency situations. The joint investigation team composed of prosecutors and police officers are also looking into charging some of the crew with homicide by omission -- that's when INaction of the defendant results in someone's death. And as we now know, none of the 15 crew members really tried to evacuate the passengers. They all survived, but many of them have reportedly shown signs of regret -- admitting to their mistakes and saying, in hindsight, they should have taken rescue measures. And it's not just the crew members that are in prosecutors' sights. How's the investigation on the ferry's operator -- the Chonghaejin Marine Company progressing? The special prosecutorial investigative team raided some ten offices and homes of the practical owner of the operator, Yoo Byung-eon earlier today. Prosecutors are closely looking into whether Yoo and his two sons, have evaded taxes or embezzled funds by making illegal foreign transactions. Yoo's two sons are the biggest shareholders of the ferry operator's holding company. And the Yoo family is said to own assets worth more than 230-million dollars - excluding debt and assets kept outside of the country. The National Tax Service yesterday also launched a special probe into four firms that are closely working with Chonghaejin Marine Company. Dozens of personnel including Yoo and the two sons are currently under a travel ban imposed by the prosecution. And we're getting reports that investigators are planning on running a simulation to determine the cause of the sinking? That's right, but experts say it will take at least 6 months in order to find out the cause because the ship will have to be salvaged first. The Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering says basic data including the vessel's floor plans, speed, seating charts will have to be gathered before they build a model ship. And all of that will only be possible after the ship is recovered from the sea.

http://wn.com/ARIRANG_NEWS_1500_Latest_on_investigation;_additional_crew_members_arrested

ARIRANG NEWS 10:00 Ferry disaster: Confirmed dead surpasses 200

Order: Reorder
Duration: 25:58
Updated: 30 Apr 2014

We start with the latest updates regarding the Sewol-ho ferry disaster... The number of confirmed dead has now surpassed the 200-mark... two weeks after the sinking. And as of this Wednesday morning, more than ninty people remain unaccounted for. More bodies were retrieved overnight... despite poor tidal and weather conditions at the accident site. For more on this and other updates, let's connect with Connie Lee, who is standing by in the news center. Connie? Good morning Mark- the total number of people confirmed dead stands a two-hundred-and-ten people at this point. Search officials and divers retrieved a dozen bodies late Tuesday... and early this morning, five more bodies were recovered. Officials say most of the victims were found in the lobby... of the FIFTH floor of the sunken ferry... an area that was not expected to have that many passengers. What we know... is that most of the retrieved bodies were male students from Danwon High School- where most of the passengers were from. As of now... search offficials say they've gone through more than half of the 64 rooms or compartments... where the missing passengers are believed to be. There are 92-people still unaccounted for. Connie, you said most of the passengers were found on the 5th floor...an area where they didn't expect to find anyone. Why do you think divers found a lot of bodies there? As you remember, Mark... the search and recovery process mostly focused on the 4th floor... because the most of the students from Danwon High School stayed in cabins on that floor. But officials themselves were surprised to see many bodies on the lobby's 5th floor. According to the commander of the recovery operation... he thinks the students from the fourth floor attempted to escape from the rushing waters...by going up to the fifth floor. "As the waters started coming in, instinctly... the students probably rushed to the upper floor..." Looking at a mock-up blueprint of the ship... the lobby, or where most of the latest bodies were found... is right by the stairwell. So it does make sense... that students who were inside their cabins on the 4th floor... tried to escape the waters rushing in... by making their way up the stairs and onto the fifth floor. But unfortunately, they were not able to get out. Officials say they have now expanded their search area, to look more intently on the fifth floor. It's just awful to imagine the terror they must have felt in those moments. This sort of massive tragedy could've been avoided with an alert or alarm to tell passengers to escape-- and I hear there has been another miss count regarding the total number of crew on board? Well, first of all... latest investigation shows that the number of crew on board... has been incorrect again. You know, there has been a lot of change in numbers since day one of this incident. According to authorities.... 33 crew members... were actually on that sunken ferry.... instead of 29, as originally reported. The additional FOUR crew members were part-time workers on that ferry... and it looks like they actually had tickets to get onto that ship. With this latest confusion though.. there's speculation now that there may be even MORE crew members not taken into account. What's the latest in the investigation into the crew members? As you know... all 15 surviving crew members responsible for navigating the ferry are in custody, and are facing charges,,... including negligence and abandoning passengers. Investigators are now looking into phone logs... of crew on the sinking ferry and the ferry's employer... the Chonghaejin Marine Company. Prosecutors say that multiple crew members on the ferry communicated about SEVEN times by phone with employer officials... when the ship was listing. THe first call was made around 9 A-M... just minutes after the ferry reported its first distress call to coast guards. And the last call... by a crew member to its employer... was made around 9-40 AM. Investigators are looking into WHY the calls were made... and what the conversations were about. Mark?

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ARIRANG NEWS 17:00 Ferry incident update; search and rescue operations continue

Order: Reorder
Duration: 26:45
Updated: 19 Apr 2014

For the latest on the sunken ferry and other updates,... Arirang's Laah Hyun-kyung is standing by at the news center. Hyun-kyung, there are reports that three more bodies have been spotted in the cabin? That's right. The three bodies were spotted inside the fourth floor of the sunken ferry earlier in the morning but unfortunately divers were not able to break through the window. The rescue operation team plans to alternate a total of 6-hundred-52 divers -- sending them to try and get inside the ferry. They say they will make as many as 40 dives today, and hopefully some divers will have successfully entered the cabin and make progress in the search and rescue operations. A total of one-hundred-seventy-six vessels and 28 aircraft have been dispatched to the site for the rescue operations.

http://wn.com/ARIRANG_NEWS_1700_Ferry_incident_update;_search_and_rescue_operations_continue

ARIRANG NEWS 16:00 Panel of experts for Sewol-ho sinking meets on Friday

Order: Reorder
Duration: 26:04
Updated: 25 Apr 2014

Authorities are broadening their investigation into what exactly happened,... on the day the Sewol-ho ferry capsized,... and who is responsible for this man-made disaster. For more, we connect with our Yoo Li-an who is standing by at the news center. Li-an, how is the investigation coming along,... and are we any closer to figuring out the cause of this tragedy? Conn-young, an advisory panel of 13 experts has been set up to answer that question and they held their very first meeting about an hour ago at 3 p.m. local time. The panel includes professors, maritime specialists and experts from the shipping industry. They will attempt to reconstruct the accident using a mock-up of the ferry. Prosecutors are also looking into another ferry called the Ohamana-ho ferry,... also owned by the operator of the Sewol ho ferry,... to look for possible clues as to why the Sewol-ho sank. The Ohamana Ferry is almost identical to the Sewol-ho ferry in size,... and follows the same route. After raiding the Ohamana ferry,... prosecutors have found out that MOST of its safety equipment such as the life rafts and tubes,.. did not function properly. It's not a stretch to say, according to investigators, that the story would have been much the same for the Sewol-ho ferry. Can you tell us what are the most likely causes for the accident? A number of possible causes have been raised over the past several days,... but THREE have emerged as the most probable scenarios. One is that the Sewol-ho ferry made a sudden right turn as it attempted to do a P-turn. Another possibility,.. that the three-and-a-half thousand tons of freight onboard was NOT secured properly,...causing all the containers and vehicles in the cargo hold to list to one side,... tilting the ferry. And lastly, prosecutor are looking to see whether the ferry was simply unstable,.. due to the renovations made to the ferry to maximize the number of passengers and cargo. Hopefully the expert panel will narrow down those possibilities,... what about the captain and the crew members of the Sewol Ho ferry? Most of them are facing criminal charges. That's right,.. looking at the investigations unfold,... it seems ALL 15 rescued crew members,... including the captain Lee Joon-seok WILL face criminal charges. Eleven have already been charged with negligent homicide while violating maritime law,... with the remaining four under investigation as suspects. Now investigation continues into the ferry's operator as well,.. which is facing accusations that it has lobbied its way out of getting safety checkups for its vessels. Amid the crackdown,.. we are learning that the practical owner of the Sewhol-ho ferry operator Yoo Byung-eon was involved embezzlement. We have found out just today that he and his family own at LEAST three paper companies. Investigators say these companies were used for deals among the ferry operator's affiliates to set up funds that the prosecution suspect were used for possible kickbacks and other irregularities. Also earlier,... prosecutors ordered the second son and a daughter of Yoo Byung-eon to return to Korea by next Tuesday for questioning. I'll bring you more updates in our later newscasts.

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ARIRANG NEWS 20:00 State auditor launches probe into Sewol-ho ferry disaster

Order: Reorder
Duration: 26:17
Updated: 30 Apr 2014

On our broadcast tonight,... The head of the Korea Coast Guard admits his organization's shortcomings in the delayed search efforts, and says he will do everything to cooperate with investigations. Prosecutors are now focusing on whether the ferry operator ignored concerns about overloading the vessel. Amid mounting public criticism, the state auditor has launched a preliminary investigation into four government ministries and agencies for their possible mismanagement and botched handling of the Sewol-ho ferry accident. PLUS... as the possibility of a fourth North Korean nuclear test still lingers, some experts say Pyongyang may continue to have the upper hand until the U.S. mid-term elections in November. These stories and more next on Arirang News at 8.

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