The Coast Guard’s botched initial response also contributed to the high death toll, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office (SPO) said.
The findings come following a five-month-long probe into the incident, the country’s worst maritime disaster.
The incident claimed the lives of more than 300 people, mostly school children, after the vessel capsized on 16 April.
The report is said to have found that the Sewol was overloaded with cargo and not carrying enough ballast to balance the vessel correctly.
Investigators
