Clashes in South Korea as protesters mark ferry disaster anniversary

Protests to mark the one year anniversary of the Sewol ferry disaster that killed more than 300 passengers turned violent earlier today, with hundreds of riot police clashing with demonstrators as they attempted to march towards the presidential palace.

A rally was organised through downtown Seoul by a group representing families of the victims. It is the largest in a number over recent weeks. There are unverified reports that a family member of one of the victims was among 22 people arrested.

Police in their hundreds used buses as barricades to block marchers from advancing toward the presidential Blue House, a Reuters witness saw.

Police sprayed water cannon and pepper spray to stop the marchers, South Korea's Yonhap news agencey said.

The rally began at midday with a crowd demanding the an independent inquiry into the disaster, and for the raising of the ferry.

The ferry was journeying between Incheon to the southern island of Jeju when it capsized making a sharp turn and sank.

Among the 304 victims were 250 students on a class trip. Investigators found it was structurally unsound and overloaded with cargo.

Anger among the families of the victims toward the government still runs high. They say the government let them down again this week by failing to announce a plan to raise the ferry by the first anniversary of the disaster.