Prosecutors are now pursuing the son and a daughter of Yoo Byung-un, the head of the family that owns Chonghaejin Marine, the ferry operator of the ferry which sank filled with students last month, according to the Associated Press.
Prosecutors on Thursday arrested several officials of the ferry operator and its affiliates, including Chonghai Jin's chief executive, on charges of negligence causing death and the sinking of a vessel, the AP reported. The government has also started the process of stripping the company of its license to operate ferries.
It was not clear whether Yoo Byung-un, who ran the defunct commercial empire that was the precursor to the sprawling business interests that include Chong Hae Jin, might be called in for questioning, according to the AP.
Yoo's son, Hyuck-ki, who is believed to be in the United States, has failed three times to respond to a prosecution summons, an official said, the AP reported. Other aides to Yoo are also believed to be abroad and have ignored summonses.
"Since it is an important issue that has drawn public attention, we will do our best (to ensure) their attendance and forcible extradition," said Kim Hoe-jong, second deputy chief prosecutor at Incheon District Prosecution Service, according to the AP.
All 15 of the surviving crew members, including the 69-year-old captain, have been arrested and face charges of gross negligence amid accusations they abandoned the vessel without performing emergency escape procedures, the AP reported.
Prosecutors have also raided the shipping company's offices and financial regulators are investigating borrowings of the company and of businesses that are part of a wider holding firm, according to the AP.
South Korea, Asia's fourth-largest economy and one of its leading manufacturing and export powerhouses, has developed into one of the world's most technically advanced countries, but faces criticism that regulatory controls have not kept pace, the AP reported.
