Negotiations have been under way between the families and the authorities about the removal of their protest tents because the plaza is the venue of the open-air Mass that the authorities estimate could draw as many as 1 million people, including 170,000 invited Catholics.

"The families agreed to leave only two tents and remove the rest while they take part in the beatification ceremony," Heo said, adding that more details will be fixed later.

Last week, rival political parties agreed to adopt a bill that would create a parliamentary fact-finding team on the ferry sinking that would include members of the families but have no legal powers to investigate and indict those responsible.

The parties, however, failed to pass the bill through the parliament as planned on Wednesday as it faced strong public criticism and protests from the families of the ferry victims. The main opposition party now insists on a renegotiation of the deal.

The 6,825-ton Sewol ferry capsized off southwestern South Korea on April 16 after making a sharp turn. So far, 294 people, mostly high school students, have been found dead, with 10 missing and presumed dead. (Yonhap)