Grieving parents of Korean ferry victims shave heads and march 35km to demand inquiry

Newly shaven-headed and clad in white mourning robes the grieving parents of the victims of last year's Sewol ferry disaster began a marathon march yesterday to press for an independent inquiry into the tragedy.

More than 200 people are taking part in the march from Ansan city to the capital Seoul, mostly the parents of the 250 students from the same high school who perished when the overloaded ferry sank off the southern island of Jindo on April 16.

With the first anniversary of the tragedy drawing near, the 35km march is being held to call for the sunken ferry to be brought to the surface to recover those bodies still unaccounted for.

Some wept as they set off carrying pictures of their daughters and sons, and many parents shaved their heads in a show of grief and determination.

They chanted slogans and held banners alleging that the government was insulting victims' families by "waving money under their noses" instead of seeking to ensure a thorough and independent investigation.

Families have repeatedly staged protests, demanding a meeting with President Park Geun-hye and urging her to deliver on her promise to continue the search for those missing.