(LEAD) Prosecutors raid state audit agency in Sewol probe

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SEOUL, Dec. 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korean prosecutors on Thursday raided the state audit agency as part of an ongoing probe into the 2014 Sewol ferry sinking which killed more than 300 people.

A special unit tasked with the probe arrived at the Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea in Seoul at 10 a.m. to secure documents related to the agency's audits of government bodies, including the oceans and safety ministries and the coast guard, regarding their botched responses to one of the country's worst maritime disasters.

An official with the team said the audit agency is not subject to the probe, adding that the search was merely a procedure to secure documents that the agency is not allowed to provide to other organizations voluntarily.

The investigation team was launched last month to determine the exact cause of the sinking and investigate alleged misdeeds in rescue operations and the government's handling of the disaster.

On Nov. 22, the special investigation unit also raided Korea Coast Guard offices.

kdon@yna.co.kr
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