The family members of the missing passengers of the Sewol ferry are under extreme emotional stress, according to a volunteer therapist on Jindo Island.

With the slow progress in rescue and recovery efforts, stress and emotions have been escalating at the gymnasium on Jindo Island where families gathered to hear updates on the situation.

“We tried to set up a joint psychological consultation unit on the site, but things have become so intense and sensitive. (We had to scrap the plan),” therapist Jeong Gyeong-sook said in a phone interview with The Korea Herald.

“The families are not ready to accept any ‘facts,’ but when the facts turn out to be wrong they get so angry,” said Jeong. “Especially when information released from the government briefings is creating confusion, their emotional stress is expressed as a form of anger and outrage.”

With divers successfully entering the sunken ferry and recovering several bodies since April 20, the official death toll rose to 61 as of the next morning.

By Park So-eun (spark@heraldcorp.com)