Bereaved families of the nine passengers who remain missing in the Sewol sinking hold pictures of their missing family members. Photo: PA
Families of the nine Sewol victims who remain missing have urged the government to hoist the vessel ahead of the first anniversary of the tragedy on 16 April.
On that date last year, Sewol, carrying 476 passengers and crew, capsized during a routine Incheon-Jeju trip. More than 300 of them were Danwon High School students and teachers.
Of those on board, 295 bodies were recovered while 172 people were rescued. Search and rescue efforts for the remaining nine victims were called off on 11 November 2014, the same day Sewol captain Lee Jun-seok was jailed 36 years for negligence and abandonment.
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The government's explanation for calling off the search was the increasingly remote chances of finding the bodies and the growing risk to rescue divers. Two civilian divers died during the search after losing consciousness in the waters.
Along with a hydrographic survey done by the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, the government said it has finished evaluating how and when the ferry would be lifted from the Maenggol Channel. However, it has yet to announce whether it will actually go ahead with the plan. The recovery process has been estimated to cost taxpayers KRW620 billion (USD560 million), since Sewol operator Chonghaejin Marine has gone out of business.
Nonetheless, the families are pressing for swift action in hope that the nine bodies would finally be found.
"There are nine bodies that are waiting to be returned to their family members," the associations for the families said in a statement.
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