S Korea seeks death penalty for ferry boat captain

Executing him won't bring back any of the dead, so what would be the point?

Death for a coward is a little harsh this is not war and he is living his own punishment, he has to be who he is until he dies.

Homicide through negligence is not the same as willful homicide. Seems too harsh.

What else would you expect from Republic of Korea? How about making sure it will not happen again? Instead the President of the company (already dead) and the captain (soon to join him) and his crew in prison. Not the way to solve problems but cover them up.

Perhaps the government of Korea who have such lax safety rules that such a thing could happen should get the death penalty as well.

My godness, I can't believe I am reading this. Why kill more people? What is the reason for that?

When I say that Asian countries are stuck behind in time, socially speaking, nobody believes me.

South Korea is to be considered one of the most advanced and proeminent countries of Asia, maybe behind only Japan. And this ridiculous thing is the ethics and justice of a so big country?

This the kind of thing you would expect out of the PRC. 'nuff said.

What else would you expect from Republic of Korea? How about making sure it will not happen again? Instead the President of the company (already dead) and the captain (soon to join him) and his crew in prison. Not the way to solve problems but cover them up.

Unlike Japan where death sentences have been carried out frequently, the death penalty hasn't been carried out in South Korea since 1997. There have been death sentences handed out to dozens of people since then, but they're not being executed. and they won't anytime soon. S.Korea is effectively a non-death penalty country, it's just not one on paper. The prosecution recommendation of death penalties are mere formalities in South Korea, for crimes that are considered grave - usually highly publicized crimes like mass murders. Usually in the end the final sentences are bumped down to lesser sentences.

Review the enforcement system and personnel. When they are lax laws are broken.

I have no sympathy for the captain and crew, but scapegoating them won´t make the problem with Koreas non-enforcement of safety standards disappear. That is just the easy way out.

The death penalty is too harsh for this situation. It wasn't intentional or pre-meditated. SK's justice system would be shown that they're not beyond making a scapegoat just to appeal to the masses. Leave it at some long decades in prison should be more than enough. The man will have plenty of time to remember what got him in there.

I'm against the death penalty to begin with, and in this case it is too severe even for those who believe in the death penalty. Cowardice and gross negligence, etc., are not grounds for death. I can empathize with those who lost family and friends in the accident, but the death penalty is not the right penalty. Give him life, and that's all we can do.

Calling for the death penalty sounds like a very emotional response. The captain was on a one year contract, not even a full-time employee. We can't expect him to bear 100% of the responsibility.

This is sad. "Your society's outrage should not affect my sentencing at all." He's probably toast though.

Hey, it's their country and their courts. I have no idea what the court of Korea's public opinion says on executing this guy, but it seems for them, a head has gotta roll.

Again, why I always say of you're heading to Korea/ China/ even Japan/ or a strict Muslim country, be absolutely careful with your behavior when you're there because their laws be harsh, my man.

whether he was on a one year contract or not is irrelevant, he was the captain, he had absolute power over life and death on the ship. he was responsible for and had a duty to preserve the life and welfare of his passenger and crew. he ignored his duty to save his own skin. while not pre-meditated, i don't think the death penalty is unjustified.

This is purely political. Death for being a coward? What is this, WW1?

Sharia law is expanding all over it seems. Death penalty in this case very much unjustified. He didn't wake up that morning planning all of this. Yes, he was negligent but he didn't plan on doing this. No death penalty.

Part of the problem here is that, although Korea technically has the death penalty, it's not been carried out for seventeen years. So the prosecutors get to look tough but know they're very unlikely to actually have the captain's death on their conscience....

Unsafe vessels slip through the mazes of the law. No effective enforcement of safety laws on the seas are in place. When an accident happens the captain is the scape goat. Extremely unfair.

Culpable manslaughter I could understand, but murder and the death penalty? Sounds like they are over reacting. Again.