MOKPO -- A team of workers on Thursday found an item belonging to one of those still missing in a ferry sinking disaster for the first time as it searched for their remains in the wreck of the vessel, government officials said.

   A male high school uniform top was discovered on the fourth floor of the bow of the Sewol ferry which sank three years ago though his remains were not found, according to the officials.

   The clothes were believed to be found with the name tag of Park Young-in, a missing student from Danwon High School.

   The 6,800-ton Sewol ferry that sank on April 16, 2014, in waters off the country's southwest coast claimed the lives of 304 people, most of them teenage students on a school trip.

   The hull was raised from the bottom of the sea and put into dry dock at a local port in Mokpo, some 410 kilometers south of Seoul, earlier this month. The bodies of nine people, including four students and two teachers, have not been found.

   After being told that Park's item was found, families of the missing nine people are hoping that their loved ones' remains could be discovered, according to family members.

   Among 28 items found on Thursday were three mobile phones, nine clothing items and nine pairs of shoes, according to the government. The search for remains is aimed at being completed within three months.

   A special fact-finding body said last week that a probe to determine the exact cause of the tragic sinking will begin late next month. (Yonhap)