ANSAN // South Korea’s president vowed on Thursday to raise the sunken Sewol ferry, but failed to appease grieving relatives on the first anniversary of the disaster that claimed 304 lives — most of them schoolchildren.
“I will take the necessary steps to salvage the ship at the earliest possible date,” Park Geun-hye announced during a brief visit to the southern island of Jindo, the closest landfall to the site where the Sewol sank on April 16.
Her announcement followed weeks of protests by victims’ families demanding a firm commitment on raising the 6,825-tonne ferry, despite the technical challenges and the estimated US$110 million cost (Dh404m).
But the families were still not satisfied and boycotted a planned anniversary memorial event, saying Ms Park had failed to give other assurances on ensuring a fully independent inquiry into the tragedy.
The tense to-and-fro reflected the depth of the residual anger in South Korea a year after the passenger ferry went down.
While largely blamed on the ship’s illegal redesign and overloading, the accident laid bare deeper problems of corruption, lax safety standards and regulatory failings.
Of the 304 who died, 250 were children from the same high school in Ansan, a city south of Seoul.
Flags flew at half mast and yellow ribbons fluttered from trees and lamp posts across the city, where sirens blared and residents bowed their heads for a minute’s silence and prayer.
Despite torrential rain, thousands of mourners passed through a memorial hall containing hundreds of black-ribboned, flower-ringed portraits of the dead students.
Parents and other relatives sobbed and beat their chests as they left messages, stuffed toys and the children’s favourite snacks under the framed photos.
“My son, I hope you’re happy up there. Mom misses you so much,” one message read.
A large screen showed a slide show of family pictures below a large banner that read: “We’re sorry. We love you. We won’t forget.”
Uniformed students from Danwon High School were among those who paid their respects, standing in tearful silence before the portraits of their dead classmates.
A formal memorial event had been scheduled for in Ansan, but the victims’ families boycotted it, despite Ms Park’s agreement to salvage the ferry.
Yoo Gyoung-geun, a spokesman for the families, said there was anger that the president had not given assurances regarding the independent inquiry demands.
“I’m afraid her words were just meaningless,” Mr Yoo said.
Public opinion has been largely supportive of the families, although some conservative groups say left-wing organisations have hijacked the cause in an effort to embarrass the government.
A total of 295 bodies were recovered from the ferry, but nine remained unaccounted for when divers finally called off the dangerous search in November.
“My heart still aches when I think of the nine people who are still under the cold water, and of their families,” Ms Park said in Jindo.
The president had intended to pay her respects at a special altar erected at the island’s harbour, but angry relatives had put up a barrier to block her access.
Ms Park and her administration had promised an overhaul of national safety standards after the disaster, but most believe their efforts have fallen short.
“Nothing has changed,” the JoongAng Daily newspaper said in an editorial on Thursday, while the largest circulation Chosun Ilbo concluded that “the country remains unsafe”.
* Agence France-Presse
