Cherishing the Memory of Sewol Ferry Victims
Cherishing the Memory of Sewol Ferry Victims
  • Reporter Yun Seok-chan
  • 승인 2016.05.04 17:10
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It has already been 2 years since the great tragedy took place on the seniors of Danwon high school on their way to a school trip. Happy as they were to spend time with their friends, free from monotonous daily lives, they could not make their way back home. On Apr. 16 2014, ferry Sewol carrying 476 people bound to Jeju island capsized and sank, taking away lives of more than 300 people, most of whom were students. The exact reason for sinking is not clear. However, what is known is that there was a critical delay in reporting that the ship capsized on its way to Jeju island and until the maritime police came to rescue them. The captain told the students to stay in their rooms without coming out to the hallway. The ship was overly extended to and overly loaded that it should not have been in operation. These factors all combined to make the worst possible scenario. On Apr. 16 2016, events to commemorate the 2nd anniversary of Sewol Ferry tragedy were in various regions around Korea including Pohang. In Pohang, the commemoration was held in Yeongildae beach with about 150 people including students, soldiers, and parents. There were 3 booths prepared for the event, where laying flowers for the deceased, face painting, and hanging ribbons commenced. People painted yellow ribbons on their hands and hung yellow ribbons with a word “Remember” on it. People could also watch documentaries related to the incident, portraying what the incident was about and how it came to take place. The purpose of the event was to urge the government and the National Assembly that they thoroughly shed light on the truth of the tragedy so that kids can live safely in this country. In POSTECH, a small event was organized in the student union building, where students could freely take a post-it, make a remark about the event or give a message to the students who died in the incident and post it on a bulletin board, where a large yellow ribbon was drawn with a chalk. Unfortunately, there were only few participants in the program attributing to the upcoming mid-term exams around that period.