Across the South Korean capital, Seoul, spring festivities have been put on hold out of respect to the victims of the Sewol ferry disaster and their families.

Instead of celebrating a season associated with renewal and rebirth, Seoul residents from many walks of life said on Tuesday they found it far more appropriate to join together in mourning.

In light of the tragedy, Seoul National University student council decided to postpone their spring festival scheduled for May, after their midterm exams.

The Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Hotel has cancelled its "signature events", like wine and beer fairs, in recognition of the national mourning which has so many South Koreans in its thrall.

Kim Hong-hee, director of the Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA), said the museum has chosen not to go ahead with a number of events in its spring schedule.

"We thought that in this current nationwide atmosphere of mourning, for the Sewol ferry sinking, such events were a little inappropriate," she said.

Nearly a week has passed since the Sewol ferry sank off South Korea's southern coast on 16 April.

The confirmed death toll from the disaster reached 113 on Tuesday, officials said, and about 190 people were still missing, thought to be trapped underwater inside the sunken vessel.

AP TELEVISION

1. Wide of memorial for the victims of the Sewol ferry accident outside the student union building at Seoul National University (SNU)

2. Tilt of poster announcing that the student council has unanimously voted to cancel the upcoming spring festival, reads (Korean): "Announcement to the students of Seoul National University regarding the Sewol incident by the Student Council"

3. Mid of SNU students in front of the memorial wall covered in ribbons

4. Various of student writing a message on a ribbon

5. Pull out of pink ribbon reading (Korean): "Hoping for a miracle" to students pinning ribbons

6. Mid of SNU Student Council President Yi Kyoung-hwan

7. Close of Student Council meeting agenda notes (number four is on the discussion of cancelling the spring festival)

8. SOUNDBITE (Korean) Yi Kyoung-hwan, 27, Student Council President at Seoul National University:

"When taking into consideration the (current) sentiment of South Koreans, outside of classes, there is a strong element of having fun in holding a festival. In light of this current, extremely tragic disaster, the students preparing the festival could not focus on the festival in a cheerful way. So the student council held a meeting and decided to cancel the festival."

9. Pan from poster reading (Korean): "We sincerely wish the safe return of the missing passengers on the Sewol, from the 56th SNU student council" to student writing a message by the memorial wall

10. Close of pink ribbon reading (Korean): "I will be praying for your safety"

11. SOUNDBITE (Korean) Jeong Jun-ho, 23, Seoul National University student:

"Many people were hurt in Jindo because of the (Sewol ferry) accident, and even now they are looking for the missing (passengers). Even though it's important for us students to have fun and really enjoy the festival, I personally think that it's a good thing to cancel the festival, so that we can grieve and mourn together."

12. Tilt of Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Hotel exterior

13. Close of the Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Hotel logo

14. Mid of Kim Do-young, Operations Management Director at Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Hotel

15. SOUNDBITE (Korean) Kim Do-young, Operations Management Director at Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Hotel:

"This incident, regarding the Sewol Ferry, has led to an atmosphere of mourning across the nation. At our hotel, the Sheraton Grande Walkerhill, we also want to take part in this by temporarily postponing our signature events, such as our wine fair or beer fair."

16. Wide of Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA) exterior

17. Close of "Seoul Museum of Art" sign

18. Mid of Kim Hong-hee, director of SeMA in office

19. SOUNDBITE (Korean) Kim Hong-hee, director of the Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA):

"It's spring. There are a lot of events in spring, and at events where many people gather, it turns into a festive atmosphere. We thought that in this current nationwide atmosphere of mourning, for the Sewol ferry sinking, such events were a little inappropriate."

20. Mid of museum exhibition posters

21. Various of woman taking photo of friend in front of the museum

++WARNING: FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY++

SHOTLIST (including transcript):-

AP Entertainment

Seoul, 9 April 2015

1. Wide shot Sean Hepburn Ferrer - Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund's president and the eldest son of Audrey Hepburn - arriving for press conference

2. Medium shot Sean Hepburn Ferrer

3. Wide shot Ferrer family (Emma Kathleen Ferrer, Karin Hofer Hepburn Ferrer, Sean Hepburn Ferrer) and families of victims (right) seated for press conference

4. Medium shot journalists

5. Wide shot Ferrer family and families of victims at press conference

6. Close-up of Sean Hepburn Ferrer

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Hepburn Ferrer, Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund president:

"A year has now passed and instead of sending flowers to the families, we wished to create something beautiful. A natural platform amidst all of the investigations, all of the pain, all of the politics. We wanted to create a platform that would bring some feelings of hope, comfort and that would create a place from which everyone can work towards the future - where a tragedy like this will not repeat itself."

8. Cutaway journalists

9. Wide shot victims' families at the conference

10. Wide shot press conference

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Hepburn Ferrer, Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund president:

"Why when there is life at risk, why are the children not put in the first position? Why is it more important not to lose face? Why is it more important to hide a problem? Why is it more important... I don't know all the details and I think what these families want is clarity and for these ways to change - where people are prioritized above business, above politics, about the needs even to tell a story a certain way."

12. Cutawayjournalists

13. Close-up Karin Hofer Hepburn Ferrer

14. Medium shot press conference

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Hepburn Ferrer, Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund president:

"The families are not going to leave for families that cannot find closure because their children are still trapped in the ship. So they're going to stay there until everybody gets out of this nightmare. Just the same as a society. We cannot move forward and have our comfortable lives, knowing that 20,000 children die every day. It's A very similar dynamic if you think about it."

16. Wide shot Ferrer family and victims' families waiting for photo op

17. Close-up badge symbolizing Danwon High School on Ferrer's chest

18. Close-up banner reading the website address for the foundation's forest project

19. Wide shot Ferrer family and victims' families posing for photos

AUDREY HEPBURN'S SON ANNOUNCES PROJECT PAYING TRIBUTE TO VICTIMS OF SOUTH KOREAN FERRY DISASTER

Sean Hepburn Ferrer, the eldest son of late actress Audrey Hepburn, was in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday (9 APRIL 2015) to announce plans for a forest project which will pay tribute to the victims of last year's South Korean ferry disaster.

Hepburn Ferrer, who is president of the Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund, said the project, called the Sewol Memorial Forest, will commemorate and pay respect to those who perished in the disaster in April 2014.

"A year has now passed and instead of sending flowers to the families, we wished to create something beautiful. A natural platform amidst all of the investigations, all of the pain, all of the politics. We wanted to create a platform that would bring some feelings of hope, comfort and that would create a place from which everyone can work towards the future - where a tragedy like this will not repeat itself."

When asked why he cares so much about the incident, Hepburn Ferrer said he was touched by the plight of the victims' families and angered by the South Korean investigation into the disaster.

"Why when there is life at risk, why are the children not put in the first position? Why is it more important not to lose face? Why is it more important to hide a problem? Why is it more important... I don't know all the details and I think what these families want is clarity and for these ways to change - where people are prioritized above business, above politics, about the needs even to tell a story a certain way."

The Sewol Memorial Forest will be built on a hill on the southwestern island of Jindo, which is around 4.18km away from the Paeng-Mok port - the nearest port to the disaster site.

The MV Sewol ferry sank on the morning of 16th April 2014 en route from Incheon to Jeju island with 476 passengers onboard.

The sinking resulted in the deaths of 295 people, with 250 of the dead being high school students on a field trip. There are still nine passengers unaccounted for.

The captain of the ship was sentenced to 36 years in prison for his actions on the day.

KIM KI-DUK SHOWS SUPPORT TO FERRY DISASTER FAMILIES

Film director Kim Ki-duk showed his support for the families of the victims of April's South Korean ferry disaster in a press conference at the Venice Film Festival.

Hundreds died when the ferry, which was carrying mostly high school students, sank earlier this year.

Little is known about the cause of the disaster and the families of those who died have set up a campaign in the hope of getting some answers from the government.

Kim wore a T-shirt with the families' campaign sticker attached for Wednesday's press conference.

"In Korea the truth behind this tragedy has yet to be revealed and there is a campaign going on to seek the truth and find out the real reason it happened. That is why I am wearing this sticker," explained Kim.

"This campaign is also related to my film 'One on One.' The film is about people who are standing up to corrupt officials or rotten people to find out the truth about a tragedy. So, the campaign for the ferry disaster is related because there are rotten officials who know what happened and aren't willing to explain what happened," he added.

Kim's latest film "One on One" marks his second return to the Lido since winning the festival's top prize two years ago for "Pieta."

"I was here with an out of competition movie last year and this year I'm in Venice Days with 'One on One.' I'm happy to be back, but at the same time, I kind of hoped younger directors would come to the festival more and here I am back again with another new film," he noted.

"I feel kind of embarrassed at the same time, that I haven't given the younger directors a chance. I think I should make only one film every three years. But, the bottom line is, I'm happy to be back."

"One on One" - which is opening the Venice Days section of the film festival - is a revenge tale about the perpetrators of a schoolgirl's senseless murder who are methodically singled out for punishment.

The Venice Film Festival opens Wednesday night and runs until Saturday September 6th, when the winner of the Golden Lion - the festival's top prize - will be announced.

AP Entertainment

Venice, Italy, 27 August 2014

1. Wide shot director Kim Ki-duk entering press conference

2. SOUNDBITE (Korean) Kim Ki-duk, director (translation not verbatim):

"I put this sticker on my T-shirt because there was a very sad accident with a ferry sinking into the sea back in April and more than 300 people, including young students, drowned. In Korea the truth behind this tragedy has yet to be revealed and there is a campaign going on to seek the truth and find out the real reason it happened. That is why I am wearing this sticker."

3. Pan from film poster to Kim Ki-duk

4. SOUNDBITE (Korean) Kim Ki-duk, director (translation not verbatim):

"This campaign is also related to my film 'One on One.' The film is about people who are standing up to corrupt officials or rotten people to find out the truth about a tragedy. So, the campaign for the ferry disaster is related because there are rotten officials who know what happened and aren't willing to explain what happened."

5. Wide of press conference

6. SOUNDBITE (Korean) Kim Ki-duk, director (translation not verbatim):

"I was here with an out of competition movie last year and this year I'm in Venice Days with 'One on One.' I'm happy to be back, but at the same time, I kind of hoped younger directors would come to the festival more and here I am back again with another new film. I feel kind of embarrassed at the same time, that I haven't given the younger directors a chance. I think I should make only one film every three years. But, the bottom line is, I'm happy to be back."

7. Pan from audience to Kim Ki-duk

8. SOUNDBITE (Korean) Kim Ki-duk, director (translation not verbatim):

"So far my films have dealt with the general life of people. Like in the summer, fall, winter and spring. It's all about individuals and our lives and easy for all to understand. But this film is easier to understand if you have some knowledge of Korean history or Korean society. As a Korean myself, I wanted to show my observations of Korean society in this film."

9. Pan from film poster to Kim Ki-duk signing autograph

10. Medium of Kim Ki-duk singing autograph and leaving press conference