South Korea marks 10 years of Sewol ferry sinking

STORY: Many parents attended a memorial service in the city of Ansan, home of the 250 children who died on the ferry during a school excursion, while another 37 family members boarded a Coast Guard ship that sailed to the scene of the disaster, marked by a lone buoy, and held a memorial at sea.

"The reason we participate in this memorial ceremony is to let people know why the Sewol ferry disaster happened and why the children were not rescued," said Kim Soon-gil, who lost her child in the disaster.

On the morning of April 16, 2014, the Sewol sank with 476 passengers and crew on board. Of the 304 people killed, 250 were students from the Danwon High School in Ansan.

The scenes of the 6,800-ton vessel sinking on live TV stunned the country. Disbelief turned to outrage as it emerged the captain and crew had abandoned the ship, and that the children were told to stay in the cabin and wait for rescue.