POLICE arrested the owner of the firm that ran South Korea ferry Sewol today pending formal manslaughter charges related to the 300 people that died when it sank last month.

Prosecutors said that Chonghaejin Marine chief executive Kim Han Sik, had been taken into custody at his home and would be formally arraigned later.

The charges arise from allegations that Mr Kim was either involved in the regular overloading of the 6,825-ton ferry or turned a blind eye to it.