Admitting that the government had failed to prevent the sinking of a ferry carrying mostly high school students, and bungled the response to the disaster, South Korean President Park Geun-hye has apologized in a statement shown on national television.

“I don’t know how to apologize for the failure to prevent this accident, and for the insufficient first response,” President Park said, “I am sorry to the people and heavy-hearted that many precious lives were lost.”

The Sewol ferry sank off South Korea on 16 April, with 476 people aboard.  A total of 174 were rescued, with 187 people confirmed dead and about 115 still missing.  South Korea has alerted Japan and China to be aware of bodies possibly washing up on their shores.

Earlier, new Coast Guard video has emerged showing the Sewol’s captain Lee Joon-Seok in a sweatshirt and his underpants, abandoning the sinking vessel and heading into the waiting arms of rescuers.  This is after the passengers were repeatedly given orders to stay in their cabins to await rescue.  The angry rescuers gave a news conference insisting they didn’t know who Lee was when they pulled him to safety.  Lee faces an array of charges due to his apparent negligence, and could be sentenced to life in prison.