Frustrated relatives of those on sunken ferry Sewol on Friday allowed South Korean officials to leave a tent at a port on the island of Jindo where they had been held overnight.
The relatives, angry over the pace of the rescue mission, staged a marathon confrontation with the officials on Thursday night, surrounding them in a standoff that lasted into Friday morning.
The frustrated families have been waiting for more than a week on the island for word of their loved ones.
On Friday morning, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Lee Ju-young, was seen still sitting on the floor of the tent where he had spent the night despite being allowed to leave.
The tent is where officials post information about the newly recovered dead.
Lee, coast guard chief Kim Seok-kyun and deputy chief Choi Sang-hwan were crowded by dozens on Thursday as the officials sat on the ground and tried to explain the search efforts.
Relatives were also angry about the pace of divers who have recovered 183 bodies so far but may have nearly 120 left to find in the dark rooms of the submerged vessel.
The ferry sank April 16 on its way from Incheon port to the southern tourist island of Jeju.
More than 80 percent of the 302 dead and missing are students from a single high school in Ansan, south of Seoul.
Eleven crew members, including the captain, have been arrested on suspicion of negligence and abandoning people in need.
