SEOUL, KOREA - PROSECUTORS and defence lawyers wrangled on Monday about procedural matters when the trial resumed of five people accused of negligence in South Korea's worst oil spill.

At the second hearing of the case the two sides argued over who should testify and what evidence should be heard in future sessions, according to Yonhap news agency.

None of the accused attended Monday's session at a district court in Seosan, around 150 kilometres south-west of Seoul.

The accident happened on Dec 7 when a Samsung Heavy Industries barge carrying a construction crane snapped its cables to two tugs in rough seas and rammed the anchored 147,000-tonne supertanker.

It was holed in three places and spilt 10,900 tonnes of crude.

Scores of marine farms and miles of beaches, notably in Taean county about 110 kilometres southwest of Seoul, were devastated.

Samsung and the owners of the Hebei Spirit have each denied responsibility.

Samsung has said the tugboats, for which it maintains it was not responsible, took their own decision to put to sea.

In a letter sent to the court late last month and quoted by Yonhap, Samsung also faulted the crew of the Hebei Spirit for their 'careless' response to warnings of a possible collision with the drifting barge.

The tanker's owners and managers have defended their crew's 'exemplary' actions in trying to avoid the crash.

They have said it was impossible for the ship to have pulled up its anchor in time to avoid a collision, which took place nine minutes after the towlines snapped.

It takes about 40 minutes to weigh anchor on such a ship, they said.

The next hearing is on Mar 3. -- AFP