The captain of the South Korean ferry that sank in April was sentenced to 36 years in prison this week.

Capt. Lee Joon-seok was found guilty of gross negligence, but not guilty of homicide in the deaths of nearly 300 people.

On April 16, Lee's ferry capsized on its way to Jeju from Seoul with 476 people on board. Only 172 passengers and crew survived the disaster.

Prosecutors held the senior crew members primarily responsible for the deaths of 292 passengers and crew, and the presumed deaths of nine unrecovered persons.

While 339 students and teachers from Seol's Ansan Danwon High School were told to stay in their cabins, crew members were caught on videotape leaving the ferry. At sentencing, the chief engineer received 30 years in prison, and 13 crew members received sentences up to 20 years in prison.

The court found that Lee could not have known how many persons would die because of his actions, and that he did eventually issue an evacuation order. Both the prosecution and Lee have the right to appeal the sentence.

Chief engineer Park Ki-ho was convicted of homicide for leaving behind two injured crew members, and not telling rescuers about them.

Investigators also found that the vessel was overloaded and the ballast tank—which maintains a floating structure's centre of gravity—was inadequately filled. Three people were arrested for improper handling of the Sewol's cargo, and one executive was arrested for improper financial dealings with the ferry's operating company.

The recovery effort for the missing passengers' bodies was called off this week due to mounting safety concerns for the recovery divers. Two divers have died after becoming unconscious during their search mission.

A family member of one of the missing said the cancelled recovery was a difficult but necessary final step.

"As our loved ones remain trapped in the cold waters, this decision is unbearably painful for us," Min Dong-in said in a televised news conference.