The salvage team for Sewol plans to install an underwater fence around the sunken ferry to ensure that the bodies of missing passengers that may be still inside are not lost during the salvage operation, government officials said Sunday.

According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Chinese state-run Shanghai Salvage Co. -- which leads the consortium that is raising the ferry -- will set up a perimeter around the Sewol by the end of March, prior to salvaging the ship. The fence will be 200 meters long, 160 meters wide and 3 meters high. 


The 2014 sinking of Sewol off the coast of Jindo, South Jeolla Province, left 304 dead or missing -- most of whom were students from Danwon High School in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, on their way to a field trip. Some family members of the nine passengers who remain unaccounted have stayed in a makeshift residence set up at Paengmok harbor in Jindo.

While the divers on the salvage team have attempted to set up nets on each entrance and window of Sewol, some areas remain inaccessible, leading officials to believe that the best option is to surround the entire ship.

A total of 36 sections of metal fence will be sent to the site, and will be assembled underwater and attached to the seabed. The shipments are expected to go through customs in the adjacent Mokpo Harbor on Monday.

Officials said that simulation proved the fences would withstand the area’s strong currents that have hindered salvage operations. The Maritime Ministry said last month that unfavorable conditions have delayed operations for about a month.

The ministry aims to complete the salvage operation by late July.

By Yoon Min-sik (minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)