“We, the bereaved families of the victims, had to check things, gather evidence, demand the government’s action every step of the way,” Heo Young-ju, sister of Heo Jae-yong, one of the missing sailors, told The Korea Herald.

“A year has passed, but nobody knows why the accident occurred. I don’t understand this,” she said. “I just feel like we have been deserted by the government.”

The ill-fated cargo ship, owned by Korean shipping company Polaris and registered in the Marshall Islands, had 24 crew members -- eight Koreans and 16 Filipinos -- onboard and was carrying 260,000 metric tons of iron ore from Brazil to China when it sank.

The company’s premises were raided as part of the Coast Guard’s investigation into the accident. Intensive search operations were conducted twice in April and May and in June and July. But the cause of the sinking still remains unknown.

The families have filed a petition containing 100,000 signatures with the government, staged a sit-in to have their voices heard and met with 100 lawmakers to push them to designate the needed funds to resume the search.

In this year’s budget, 5 billion won ($4.63 million) assigned for an underwater investigation to locate the wreckage of the Stellar Daisy was cut, the families pointed out. The government cited a lack of precedent as the reason, they said.

The families’ fight will continue until the cause of the sinking of the Stellar Daisy is found, they say, to prevent a recurrence of what they say was a manmade disaster. They believe the ship, which was built in 1993 as an oil tanker, capsized because it was outdated and unsafely converted into an iron ore carrier.

“There are 27 more outdated converted iron ore ships just like the Stellar Daisy. To guarantee the safety of some 1,000 crew who put their lives on the line while working on such ships, the cause of the sinking of the Stellar Daisy must come to light,” the victims’ families and activists said in a press briefing Monday.

The families insist the vessel’s voyage data recorder needs to be found in order to determine the cause of the sinking. They are now in talks with government officials, with a public hearing into the case to be held in April. 

“We are assessing the appropriateness of the use of underwater equipment for the search operation,” an official from the Foreign Ministry said.

Earlier this year, the government formed a task force involving the Foreign Ministry, Maritime Ministry, experts and families of those missing to discuss how to continue the search efforts. They are set to meet on Thursday for the fifth meeting.

“The government continues to try to search for the lifeboat (one lifeboat with a smaller one attached). We are asking ships from all countries to search the area when they pass the scene of the accident and inform us if they find anything. A satellite is in operation to locate those missing and the lifeboats,” the official said.

Late last month, a lifeboat was discovered some 480 kilometers from where the Stellar Daisy sank, raising hopes it may be carrying those who were on the cargo ship. But it was later confirmed to be a lifeboat from the Greek ship ANTAIOS, according to the Foreign Ministry.

“We were disappointed that it was not a lifeboat from the Stellar Daisy, but at least we saw some hope that lifeboats still floating in the Atlantic Ocean could be found intact,” Heo said.

By Ock Hyun-ju (laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)