SEOUL, South Korea — The South Korean ferry captain responsible for last year’s disaster that killed more than 300 people, mostly schoolchildren, was given an increased sentence of life in prison today by an appellate court that convicted him of homicide.

A district court in November sentenced Lee Joon-seok to 36 years for negligence and abandoning passengers in need, but acquitted him of homicide.

Lee’s sentence was increased because the Gwangju High Court convicted him of the homicide charges while upholding most of other charges that led to his November conviction, according to a court statement.