Sewol to leave for Mokpo Friday

Recognize us: Bereaved family members of two teachers who died aboard the sunken Sewol ferry hold a press conference in front of the Seoul Administrative Court, Thursday, demanding that the government recognize their loved ones as having died while on duty. / Yonhap

By Lee Kyung-min

Recovery crews are putting in last-ditch efforts to move the Sewol ferry to Mokpo New Port, South Jeolla Province, today, before favorable weather conditions end later in the day, maritime authorities said Thursday.

According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, two buoyancy tanks, part of six initially installed to help the recovery ship stay afloat while the Sewol was loaded onto it, will be removed Thursday.

The crews are welding 50 parts of the Sewol to secure it firmly to the giant vessel to prevent it from being detached while sailing, a task expected to end later in the day.

“We are working under the assumption that the transport vessel will be able to start moving the Sewol early Friday,” an oceans ministry official said.

“The necessary process was halted yesterday when wave heights reached almost 2.2 meters, 0.2 meters higher than the maximum height allowable. But it has remained below 1 meter the entire morning and is expected to stay at such a height for the time being.”

Earlier in the day, the eight-member special investigation committee inspected the ferry and discussed measures to facilitate the move on schedule.

The ministry said it has dispatched officials from the National Forensic Service (NFS) and the Coast Guard to stay on the transport vessel around the clock to monitor and better analyze the recovery of any human remains.

The move followed a recent embarrassment in which ministry officials announced that human bones were recovered on the ferry, a mistake only to be rebutted five hours later by NFS officials who revealed them to be pig bones.

The ministry hired Chungbuk National University archaeology professor Park Sun-ju to assist the government task force dispatched to the port in recovering the remains while minimizing damage.

The task force was launched a day earlier to effectively deal with the aftermath of the Sewol disaster. The 105 government officials from the ministries of fisheries, public safety and security, education, justice, health and welfare, employment and labor, environment and interior were dispatched to Mokpo where 55 temporary container offices will be set up in a 3,000-square-meter lot.

The officials will help the bereaved family members recover the remains of the victims and offer funeral services. They will also provide support for the investigation committee and journalists.

A team comprised of 10 NFS and six Coast Guard officials will be tasked with identifying the victims there.

As Mokpo New Port is set to be designated as a high-security area, a memorial altar may be set up at a nearby site which has a clear view of the ferry, according to the city and the ministry.