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Ansan - 16 April 2015

1. Relatives of Sewol ferry disaster victims and others entering the ceremonial ground in front of memorial stage

2. Various of relatives

3. Representative of the victims' families on stage

4. SOUNDBITE (Korean) Yoo Kyung-geun, spokesman for the victims' families:

"We decided to cancel the official memorial ceremony after we determined that all the citizens of South Korea including the "4.16 family" (group representing the relatives of the victims) are not worthy of commemorating the 295 victims and 9 missing students."

5. Empty seats reserved for government officials

6. Various of South Korean President Park Geun-hye's empty seat

7. SOUNDBITE (Korean) Kim Sang-gil, father of Sewol ferry victim Kim Seung-hyuk:

"(The government should) swiftly accommodate our message and quickly give answers so that the truth is revealed."

8. SOUNDBITE (Korean) Kim Mi-hyun, mother of Sewol ferry victim Park Sung-bin:

"Even after one year, everything stays the same. As helpless parents, it is terrifying to see our children dying, but at least we have to know why they died. We asked (the government) to find out the reason, but it is not being done."

9. Various of relatives hugging

10. Interior of memorial

11. Photos of victims on wall

12. Pan from civil organisation holding placards to the memorial area

Angry relatives of passengers who drowned in the Sewol ferry disaster cancelled a memorial service in Ansan on Thursday, in protest against President Park Geun-hye's absence from the event.

More than 300 people died, mostly high school pupils, when the Sewol sank in cold waters off the south-western South Korean coast exactly one year ago.

The relatives expressed their anger over Park not visiting the memorial service even though they had set aside a chair for her and not providing a firm commitment for a deeper investigation into what they say is government responsibility for the sinking and botched rescue.

The families also claimed that Park should have delivered a more detailed plan for salvaging the ship during a speech earlier in the day, according to Pil Kyu Hwang, a lawyer representing the families.

Park made her speech during a visit to the small port near the site of the sinking to offer her condolences to the bereaved relatives.

Most, however, refused to meet her, in protest of the government's handling of the sinking, and had already left the port.

Also Thursday, South Korean lawmakers adopted a resolution urging the government to salvage the ferry.

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