Three relatives of S. Korean ferry owner convicted

A South Korean court has convicted three relatives of the sunken ferry's owner for corruption, about four months after the fugitive tycoon was found dead.

The body of billionaire Yoo Byung-eun was discovered in rural South Korea in July after a massive manhunt. Authorities believe his alleged corruption likely contributed to April's sinking that killed more than 300 people.

Yoo Dae-kyun, 44, was found guilty of siphoning off some $7.2 million from Chonghaejin Marine Co, the operator of the stricken ferry, and its six sister companies between 2002 and late last year.

"The accused is found guilty of embezzlement. ... He exploited his status as the eldest son of Yoo Byung-eun for embezzlement," the Incheon District Court said in a statement.

Prosecutors had sought a four-year jail sentence for Yoo.

Three other family members - Yoo Dae-kyun's mother and two uncles - have also been arrested on charges of embezzlement from the group.

Yoo's sister, Yoo Sum-na, is fighting extradition from France on similar charges. A Paris court of appeal was scheduled to rule on Wednesday on her extradition.

The 48-year-old, who also runs a design company, was arrested in Paris on May 26 after an Interpol arrest warrant was filed by Seoul.

One of her lawyers, Herve Temime, said she risked forced labor if she returned home, arguing that this rendered her extradition "shameful" and "unacceptable".

The overloading of cargo on the Sewol and an illegal redesign has been blamed for the April disaster in which the ferry sank off South Korea's southern coast, claiming more than 300 lives - most of them schoolchildren.

AP - Xinhua - AFP

(China Daily 11/06/2014 page12)