Present there were more than 20,000 people from across south Korea.

The participants honored the memory of those who died grievous deaths in the ferry sinking accident.

The venue of the rally was filled with wailing of bereaved families calling their children and family members.

A member of the bereaved families read out a letter addressed to his son who was a student of Tanwon Senior High School.

Members of various civil and social bodies made speeches.

Speakers deplored that they would not have been grieved so much if the disaster were the natural one.

They denounced the authorities for claiming that those young people out in the memorial service were mobilized after receiving money and they are "the forces following the north".

They said: "Do not stay quiet. Let's take action. Let's fundamentally change the wrong society." They declared that they would hold more events for mourning the victims and fight it out to thoroughly probe the truth behind the disaster and punish those responsible for it.

A joint action declaration of the Ansan civic and public solidarity for settling the issue of the ferry Sewol sinking accident was read out at the rally.

The declaration called upon the people to turn out in a large-scale candlelight action for probing the truth behind the accident, instituting a law for supporting the bereaved families and the survivals and punishing those responsible for the disaster.