Captain Lee Joon-seok came under fire for leaving the ship while passengers remained trapped
Fifteen South Korean crew members have gone on trial over the deaths of at least 292 people in a ferry disaster.
Captain Lee Joon-seok, 69, and three others are being accused of "homicide through wilful negligence". The remaining crew face lesser charges.
The trial will focus on Mr Lee's escape from the sinking ferry while hundreds of passengers remained trapped inside.
Most of the victims of the April disaster were school students, and many of their relatives are at the court.
If convicted, Mr Lee and three crew members could be handed the death penalty, but observers say it is extremely unlikely it would be carried out.
Eleven other crew are being tried on lesser charges of criminal negligence and maritime law violations.
A nationwide manhunt for ferry company owner Yoo Byung-eun is currently under way
This file image shows Capt Lee being rescued from the sinking ferry
Relatives of the victims have demanded severe punishment for the crew members who escaped
A nationwide manhunt is also under way for fugitive Korean businessman Yoo Byung-Eun, who is believed to own the Chonghaejin Marine company that ran the sunken ferry.
His daughter Yoo Som-Na, 47, was detained in May at her home in Paris under an international arrest warrant.
Authorities are also searching for his eldest son, Yoo Dae-Kyun, offering a $100,000 for information leading to his arrest.
Mr Yoo is wanted for questioning on possible charges of embezzlement and criminal negligence.
Prosecutors have offered a $500,000 cash reward for information leading to Mr Yoo's arrest.
Analysis: Lucy Williamson, BBC News, Seoul
It feels to many in South Korea as if the 15 faces lined up in a Gwangju courtroom today have already been tried and convicted.
Even before divers had begun to bring up the bodies from the sunken ship, the Sewol's captain Lee Joon-seok and the other rescued crew members were targets for the country's outrage and shock.
Claims by the captain and his crew that they had tried to save their passengers before leaving the ship were dismissed by an angry public. An employee from the ferry company itself told me his colleagues on board "should have done more".
Analysts say there are concerns that the crew will be unable to receive a fair trial in the district court in the south-western city of Gwangju.
The ferry disaster caused an outpouring of public anger, and there have been calls for severe punishment for the crew.
President Park Geun-hye condemned the conduct of some of the crew of the ferry, calling it "akin to murder".
She also told family members that those responsible for the ferry sinking would be "punished severely".
The confirmed death toll from the South Korea ferry disaster has reached 292, with 12 passengers still missing.
Prosecutors say the ferry owner ignored safety warnings and allowed the ship to be overloaded.
Authorities are still investigating whether the ship sank from overloading and changes in the structure of the ship.
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