Families of the victims of the 2014 Sewol ferry sinking have agreed to dismantle a memorial building in Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square during the city government’s ongoing renovation of the plaza.

At a press conference in front of the memorial on Tuesday, the April 16 Sewol Families for Truth and a Safer Society said it will remove all items and temporarily store them at an exhibition hall in the nearby Seoul Metropolitan Council building.

Stressing that the structure aims not only to remember the victims, but to seek ways to better protect people's lives and public safety, the group criticized the city government for announcing dismantling plans without proposing an alternative location.

The group reiterated its demand for a consulting body to decide where and how to reopen the memorial hall after the renovation is complete.

The dismantling, previously agreed upon between the city government and the families, comes following a standoff between city officials, who tried to take down the structure, and the families, who refused unless their demands were met.