A 26-year-old woman turned herself in to police to undergo investigation over her claim that the coast guard had blocked civilian divers from rescuing people from the sunken ferry.

The woman, surnamed Hong, voluntarily appeared in South Jeolla provincial police station last Sunday. She reportedly admitted that her remark was based on an unconfirmed rumor online.

In an interview with the MBN cable channel on April 18, the self-proclaimed licensed diver said the maritime police stopped civilian divers from jumping into the water. Her message fueled public anger over the government’s incompetent rescue efforts.

The government has vowed to crack down on people who spread false rumors about the ferry disaster.

By Um Yoon-sun (uys@heraldcorp.com)