JINDO/ANSAN -- Families of Sewol ferry victims hugged one another and erupted in bittersweet joy on early Saturday morning, as the sunken ferry was successfully moved onto a giant semisubmersible ship after being pulled from the water earlier this week.
The families of the disaster's 295 found victims, most students at Ansan's Danwon High School, could hardly sleep over the past few days while praying for a successful lifting and transport of the vessel that was trapped underwater for 1,073 days.
Families of Sewol ferry victims express gratitude over the successful salvage of the sunken ship after observing the operation off South Korea's southwestern coast on March 25, 2017. (Yonhap)
About 50 of the family members who sat up all night at Jindo's Paengmok Port, the closest port to the sinking site off South Korea's southwestern coast, were overwhelmed with mixed emotions.
They heaved a sigh of relief at the moment the rusted and wrecked Sewol ferry was safely loaded onto the semisubmersible ship at 4:10 a.m.
Other bereaved families fretfully watched the salvage operation on television at home or at a memorial hall in Ansan, south of Seoul. The emotions were particularly strong among the families of the nine Sewol passengers who still remained missing.
"There were some crises and challenges. As the (salvage work) ended successfully, I now just pray for continued success in the remaining operations. Though it is late, the remains of the missing passengers should be recovered and the truth (behind the sinking) should also be revealed," said Kim Nae-geun, father of Danwon student Min-ji.
The wreckage of the Sewol ferry is expected to arrive at the port of Mokpo next Tuesday or Wednesday, according to officials.
Oh Byung-hwan, who lost his son Young-seok, came to visit the Ansan memorial hall in the early morning after sitting up all night waiting for good news.
"I didn't sleep a wink last night, watching television news and communicating with other families staying around Jindo. I was worried the weather conditions would turn unfavorable," he said.
A number of ordinary citizens also paid visits to Paengmok Port shortly after dawn to console the families.
Kim Sun-nam, a 59-year-old resident of Seoul, who arrived at the port around 7 a.m. along with her friend and brother, said she was pleased to see the ferry salvaged successfully.
"As a parent, I felt heartbroken meeting with the bereaved families. I wish all the missing passengers would return to their families and the truth will come out. It already took three years," she said.
In the afternoon, a group of regional artists are to hold a memorial performance at Paengmok Port. (Yonhap)