Kim Kyung-il was the captain of a coast guard vessel sent to the scene of the ferry tragedy in which more than 300 people died, AP reported.
Gwangju District Court said the death toll would have been smaller if Kim had issued an evacuation order for those trapped inside the sinking ship after his arrival at the area.
Unprofessional rescue work by the coast guard was found to be one of the contributory factors to the disaster, along with crew members' negligence, too much cargo and improper storage.
