South Korea marking first anniversary of Sewol ferry disaster

PanARMENIAN.Net - South Korea is marking the first anniversary of the Sewol ferry disaster, which left more than 300 people dead, BBC News reports.

More than 250 school students were among those killed when the ship - overloaded and illegally redesigned - sank off Jindo island. The disaster triggered nationwide grief and outrage. It led to severe criticism of safety standards and rescue efforts.

Several memorial ceremonies are being held across the country. Home Affairs Minister Jeong Jong-seop said nearly 300 private organizations and local governments were marking the day. Two ceremonies are planned in Ansan city, where the students - who were on a school trip - came from.

On Wednesday, April 15, relatives of those who died sailed to the site of the disaster to scatter flowers and make offerings.

Divers have recovered all but nine of the bodies, in months of searching. Relatives are now campaigning for the ship to be raised so more remains can be found - something the government says will cost $110mln.

Relatives also want an independent inquiry into the disaster. Investigators say the ferry sank because, when an inexperienced crew member made too fast a turn, the combination of an illegal redesign and overloaded cargo meant the ship was unstable.

Most of the crew survived. The captain and three senior crew members were given long jail terms for failing to adequately protect passengers, and 11 other crew members were also imprisoned.

The captain of the first coast guard vessel on scene was also jailed for negligence relating to the botched rescue effort.