Retrieved ferry set to arrive at port as early as Tuesday

The Sewol ferry, which fully emerged from the water after a salvage operation, is anticipated to arrive at a major southern port this week, sources said Sunday.

South Korea's maritime ministry said the operation team has completed the preparations to relocate the 6,800-ton vessel to a port in Mokpo, about 90 kilometers away. The crew is currently speeding up steps to drain water and oil from the ferry.

The Sewol ferry is fully loaded on a semisubmersible transport vessel in waters near Jindo, 472 kilometers southwest of Seoul, on March 26, 2017. (Yonhap)

The passenger ferry sank on April 16, 2014, killing more than 300 people, mostly high school students on a school trip, in the nation's worst maritime disaster. Nine bodies are still missing.

As the process to drain water normally takes three to five days, experts estimate the ferry can reach port as early as Tuesday.

The ministry said it plans to remove water naturally through window and doors, but the operation team may also have to drill holes in sealed areas. (Yonhap)