JINDO, South Korea — South Korea’s prime minister resigned Sunday over the government’s handling of a ferry sinking that has left more than 300 people dead or missing, blaming “deep-rooted evils” in society for the tragedy.

South Korean executive power is largely concentrated in the president, so Chung Hong-won’s resignation appears to be symbolic. Presidential spokesman Min Kyung-wook said President Park Geun-hye would accept the resignation, but did not say when Chung would leave office.

Chung’s resignation comes amid rising indignation over claims by victims’ relatives that the government did not do enough to rescue or protect their loved ones. Most of the dead and missing were high school students on a school trip.

Chung was heckled by victims’ relatives and his car was blocked when he visited a shelter on an island near the site of the sinking a week ago.

Officials have taken into custody all 15 people involved in navigating the ferry Sewol, which sank April 16. A prosecutor revealed that investigators were also looking into communications made as the ship sank between a crew member and the company that owns the ferry.

Senior prosecutor Yang Jung-jin said two helmsmen and two members of the steering crew who were detained Saturday had been formally arrested. Eleven other crew members had been arrested earlier.

 


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