SEOUL, June 2 (Yonhap) -- Student activists and literary writers called Monday for a thorough probe into April's deadly ferry sinking and stern punishment of all those responsible for one of the nation's worst maritime disasters.

The call came as lawmakers began a 90-day special investigation to determine the cause of the accident, which has claimed more than 300 lives, and the government's handling of it.

"The government must do its best to search for the missing and thoroughly find the truth with an investigation that offers no sanctuary to those responsible, including the presidential office," the student council of Seoul National University said in a statement.

"The government should hurry to legislate a special law on the ferry disaster and listen to the people's voices or face our anger at school campuses, public squares and voting stations," it said.

The student council of Ewha Womans University and a group at Sungkonghoe University, all in Seoul, released similar statements on the same day.

The student body of Seoul's Korea University was gathering opinions from its members to determine whether to follow suit.

Also on Monday, a group of 754 literary writers, including novelists Hyun Gi-young and Hwang Sok-yong, issued a statement criticizing the government's handling of the tragedy and calling for a shift in various government policies.

"The government put lives behind business interests ... the whole truth about the tragedy should be brought to light and corruption in officialdom and the political circle should be uprooted," the writers said.

The 6,825-ton Sewol sank off the southwestern island of Jindo on April 16. Of an estimated 476 people on board, 288 have been confirmed dead, with 16 people still unaccounted for.

Public anger has been running high over charges that the government bungled its initial response to the sinking. Most of the victims were students from a high school near Seoul on a field trip to the southern resort island of Jeju.

Yonhap News Agency