Now, let's bring you the latest on the Sewol-ho ferry disaster... which is now in day 17.
The confirmed death toll now stands at 226 with 76 still unaccounted for.
For more on the search operation and the ongoing investigation... we have our Kim Ji-yeon joining us from the news center.
Ji-yeon, one body was found earlier today outside the ferry... four-and-a-half kilometers away from the ferry site in fact. It's raising questions about whether the parameters of the search should be expanded.
That may be the case.
There are growing concerns that the bodies of the victims might never be found, as some were clearly carried away from the accident site by currents.
Two days ago, another body was found 2 kilometers northeast of the accident site... in the opposite direction from the one found today.
So it's hard to predict which way the bodies might be carried away... but also how far the search area may need to be expanded.
Some of the victims' belongings have been found as far as 30 kilometers away from the ferry.
Layers of nets were set up around the site a week after the ferry first capsized.
So there's a question of whether the bodies drifted out to sea before or after they were set up.
The task force focused on preventing the loss of the victims' bodies... says it will intensify its search with the help of more than 2-hundred fishing boats near Jindo island.
In terms of the investigation,... local courts are trying to determine the validity of the arrest warrants issued for two senior employees of the ferry operator on charges of negligence. What's new on that front?
An employee identified only by his surname Kim,... who was in charge of loading cargo onto the Chonghaejin Marine Company's vessels,.... admitted today he knew that overloading cargo on the ferry could cause it to capsize.
He said this after being questioned repeatedly by reporters on the matter.
The investigation into employees of the ferry operator is giving weight to speculation that the company knew of the dangers of overloading cargo... but chose not to heed the warnings,... possibly out of a pursuit for profits.
Prosecutors obtained testimony from the Sewol-ho ferry captain Lee Joon-suk and from the ship's senior navigator.
They said they had raised concerns to Kim, the man in charge of loading cargo, many times before... about there being too much cargo on board.
Authorities say more than 3-thousand 6-hundred tons of cargo was loaded onto the Sewol-ho ferry on April 16th... three times more than its recommended capacity.
And also prosecutors arrested another senior employee today on suspicions of manipulating the figures of how much cargo was actually on the Sewol-ho ferry on records... upon news that the ferry sunk.
And some key figures in connection to the owner, Yoo Byung-eon including his brother-in-law... refused to answer the summons for questioning earlier today?
That's right.
This is the second time Yoo's brother-in-law Yoo Hyeok-gi , who has permanent residency in the United States, has refused to answer to the summons related to the ferry sinking.
The authorities are trying to close in on those related to the practical owner of the ferry company Yoo Byung-eon ... to find business irregularities that may have contributed to the ferry sinking.
But they are having difficulties... since people like Yoo's brother-in-law have refused to answer to the summons.
The prosecutors gave a new deadline for Yoo Hyeok-gi to answer to the summons by next Thursday.
The prosecutors say that this is an ultimatum and if he does not answer this time, they will proceed with "necessary measures"... although they did not specify what those measures might be.
Thank you Jiyeon.
