Of the many shocking and wrenching images that have come from the sinking of the Sewol ferry , one that stands out for me depicts the vessel 's captain -- head bowed and covered by a hood -- standing on dry land admitting he had abandoned ship . He was , in fact , among the first to be rescued . The shock for me is not this image itself , but the realization that Captain Lee Joon-seok must have known as he got off the Sewol that hundreds of other passengers -- including 325 students -- were still inside , apparently following instructions to stay put -- instructions that may be proven by investigators to have led directly to their deaths . On Monday , the South Korean coast guard released new footage of the captain and other crew members leaving the ship -- images that to me are equally disturbing . The sea around the Sewol looks glass-calm . It 's bright morning light , there 's no swell , there 's no obvious sign of tearing currents . For a body of water with such a treacherous reputation , it looks benign . Perhaps not safe , but well worth risking if your life is at stake . At this point the Sewol is leaning dangerously , to the port or left side , its upper deck under water . No one knows the vessel is close to beginning its final descent to the seabed . But Captain Lee , wearing a shirt and what looks like his underwear , and other crew members are helped into a small rescue boat , leaving the passengers to their fate . In cell phone footage taken by a teenage boy inside the Sewol -- also released in recent days -- students after being told effectively to sit tight are seen patiently waiting for further instructions and for help to arrive . A showing of faith and trust in authority that appears now tragically misplaced . None of the crew , including the captain , identified themselves to rescuers as crew members , the first coast guard responders said in a press conference on Monday . Their uniforms -- if they were wearing them -- were hidden by life vests . This footage has only added to already widespread public revulsion in South Korea around the events surrounding the sinking of the Sewol . A week ago , President Park Geun-hye described the crew 's actions as being `` like murder . '' An aunt of one of the student victims from Danwon High School told me how `` ashamed '' she was that this could happen in South Korea . She is so upset , she just wants to leave the country . There are tales of heroism as well . The 22-year-old crew member Park Jee Young who died as she tried to help passengers to safety and handing out life vests . And of course there are the divers and rescue teams scouring the sunken vessel in extremely difficult conditions . Perhaps these acts may not have been necessary if more immediate and appropriate action had been taken by the ship 's commanding officers . There 's no international maritime law that says a captain has to go down with his or her ship . But there have been honorable examples of this course of action -- Captain Edward J. Smith of the Titanic comes to mind . The captain is responsible for the vessel and all the people on board . In some countries , including South Korea , abandoning ship is a maritime crime . It 's not just the actions of Lee under the microscope here . It 's also the shipping company itself and government regulation . How were the crew trained to deal with emergencies ? How safe was the vessel ? How well-regulated are South Korea 's coastal passenger ships ? All are questions to which South Koreans are demanding answers . Yes , the captain and 14 other Sewol crew members have been arrested amid ongoing investigations . They all face charges of `` causing death by abandoning ( ship ) , and violation of the country 's marine law , the Rescue and Aid at Sea and in the River Act , '' Yang Joong-Jin , the senior prosecutor for the investigation task force says . At this stage though , it is the actions and the images of the captain that stand out -- at least for me . The image of a man who for many , if not legally but certainly at least morally , is responsible for his passengers , seemingly putting himself before everyone else .
News of captain 's rescue adds to anger in South Korea over ferry tragedy . Captain 's rescue happened while they were still in the sinking ship . Life of captain and crew are under the microscope .