Mourning continues at memorials across the country for victims

[Anchor]

Mourning continued at the memorials set up across the country.

Visitors to the memorials paid their respects to the victims and offered their condolences from early in the morning.

Reporter Kim Hyun-joo has the details.

[Report]

The mourning began at dawn.

Visitors pay their respects and lay flowers in front of the 179 memorial tablets lined up in a row.

They cannot hide their tears as they honor the spirits of those who were likely someone's family or friend.

It is heartbreaking to think of the victims who set out on their journey with excitement.

[Jeong Dae-won/Muan-gun, Jeollanam-do: "It's so sad. It's heartbreaking and tragic. I feel so inadequate in what I can do, I can't find the words."]

They also convey words of comfort to the bereaved families enduring the pain of losing their loved ones.

[Kim Jin/Hampyeong-gun, Jeollanam-do: "I feel like no words can provide any comfort. I just want to hold their hands and hug them. If I could just be there with them..."]

At the joint memorial in Muan, Jeollanam-do, over 5,000 people have visited to pay their respects and lay flowers.

Throughout the day, people continued to visit the joint memorials set up across the country to honor the victims.

A student who came to the memorial with his father prayed wholeheartedly that his friends would no longer suffer.

[Kim Do-yoon/Seo-gu, Daejeon: "There must have been friends my age, and it hurts a lot to think they have passed away."]

Memorials have been established in over 90 locations nationwide, including Gwangju, Daejeon, Jeju, Busan, and Seoul.

The joint memorials will be open until the national mourning period ends on Jan. 4, and additional operations are being considered based on the number of visitors.

This is KBS News, Kim Hyun-joo.