Korean president visits scene of ferry sinking

Seoul, May 4 (IANS) South Korean President Park Geun-hye Sunday visited the site where passenger ship Sewol sank April 16 claiming at least 230 lives

This was the second time she went there after her visit April 17, Xinhua reported.

Park headed first for the Paengmok port where coast guard ships bring ashore bodies recovered from the sunken ship and let relatives of the missing people identify the bodies.

She met some 50 relatives of the missing passengers inside for about 30 minutes and said she felt an unlimited responsibility for the accident.

The government has been under fire for its lax and slow response to the incident.

Park told the relatives that she could empathise with them as she knew about the sorrow resulting from the loss of families since she had experienced the same herself.

Park Chung-hee, Park's father and former military strongman, was assassinated in 1979 by his close aide, and her mother Yook Yeong-soo was shot dead in 1974 at a public event.

Park vowed to make utmost efforts for rescue operations to the last minute. She also added that those responsible will be tracked down and penalised.