Ferry crew's actions 'like murder': Park

[SEOUL] South Korean President Park Geun Hye said the actions of the crew on a ferry that sank last week were "like murder" and called for a thorough investigation of the incident that left more than 300 dead or missing.

"The actions of the captain and some crew members just cannot be understood with common sense, they are like murder and should not be tolerated," Ms Park told her senior secretaries yesterday, according to a report of the meeting issued by the presidential office. "Lumps of shock and rage are developing in the hearts of not only me but also of the people."

The team investigating the sinking of the Sewol that carried 476 people, most of them high school students, is focusing on why the vessel turned sharply before it listed and sank off the country's southwestern coast on April 16.