A crew member pleaded guilty on Tuesday to the charge of abandoning the South Korean ferry Sewol when it sank with the loss of nearly 300 lives in April.
The first engineer, whose surname was given as Sohn, was one of four crew charged with abandonment and violating maritime safety regulations.
Sohn’s lawyer said his client “will not make an excuse by saying that he could not rescue passengers as the ship sharply tilted to one side quickly,” Yonhap News Agency reported.
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The other three pleaded not guilty of abandonment, saying they did intend to flee without helping passengers, but were in a state of panic.
The captain and three other crew members also face charges of homicide and negligence.
The Sewol sank on April 16, resulting in the deaths of at least 292 of the 476 passengers on board. Twelve are still missing.
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On June 20, the trial against five representatives of the Sewol ferry operator is to begin, broadcaster KBS reported. They face a number of charges, including manslaughter.