A government-civilian task force for technical analysis of how to salvage the sunken Sewol ferry may begin work as soon as this week.

According to reports citing unnamed Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries sources, the government is reviewing plans to form a task force comprising government officials and civilian experts.

“Forming a task force is under consideration. Participation from civilian experts is likely to be necessary,” an unnamed Oceans Ministry official was quoted as saying by a local news agency.

The official is also reported to have said that salvage companies are unlikely to be included in the task force as such organizations may lack objectivity.

Explaining that forming the task force would not require much time, the official said that it could begin operating within the week. However, the official said that the technical review would require time, citing adverse conditions in the location of the wreck.

The Sewol sank off Jindo Island, South Jeolla Province on April 16, killing more than 300 people. The search for the missing passengers was ended on Nov. 11 with nine passengers still unaccounted for.

Although the government is now considering forming a task force, it has yet to decide whether the sunken ferry will actually be recovered.

“The central response team will take decisions regarding the management of the ship including salvaging after collecting opinions from families of the missing, experts and technical review,” Oceans Minister Lee Ju-young said on Nov. 11 when the end of the search was announced.

The minister emphasized on the following day at the National Assembly that no decision on salvaging the vessel has been made.

Factors likely to affect the decision include the area’s fast currents and large differences in high and low tides that hampered the search for the missing. In addition, the time and cost of salvaging the vessel may cause some controversy.

It is estimated that salvaging the ship is likely to cost more than 100 billion won ($90.1 million) and take more than a year.

The Japanese ferry Ariake, which was slightly larger than the Sewol, took about a year to recover after it was wrecked in 2009.

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)