President Park Geun-hye pays respects to victims in the deadly sinking of the ferry Sewol at the official mourning center in Ansan, south of Seoul, on Tuesday. (Yonhap)

President Park Geun-hye paid her respects Tuesday to victims in the deadly sinking of the ferry Sewol during a visit to a mourning altar.

Park offered incense and bowed her head before rows of black-draped portraits of victims lined up on a giant altar laden with chrysanthemums at the official mourning center in Ansan, south of Seoul.

Ansan is home to Danwon High School, which lost about 260 students and teachers in the disaster.

A total of 302 people are dead or missing in the April 16 sinking. The confirmed death toll stood at 193 as of Tuesday morning.

Park's visit to the altar came amid mounting public anger that the government was slow and incompetent in handling the sinking, which is expected to be South Korea's deadliest maritime accident ever. 

A parent whose child died in the sinking ferry protests to President Park at the mourning center. (Yonhap)