06.04.2016
KBS News
By O Hyeontae
10 days from now, on the April the 16th, will be the fifth anniversary after the Sewol disaster. Today, the 6th of April, there were memorial services all over the country. Many voices are still calling for the truth.
Five years later, 18-year-old survivors of the disaster have now reached the age of 23. They’re not hiding painful memories in their breast, they’re sharing them, making them warm. Survivor Seol Duhwan said “what’s made it even harder than losing my friends has been having to deal with the hard words of the outside world.” A student who survived the disaster with a disability said “when I spoke at Gwanghwamun[in central Seoul] I felt that people supported us in general.
Once again, we’re remembering the lessons of the that dreadful day with our brothers and sisters [throughout the country]. Bak Yongreyon, from Cheongmyeongo high school, said “my hope is that the young people in our society can live in safety.”
I asked why some adults are still struggling to discover the truth and why they still have not finished their investigation.
[O Jiwon, Secretary of the Special Investigation Committee of Social Disasters, said “when we restored the CCTV video [from the wreck], there was not footage until three minutes before the sinking.” He called for the truth to be revealed without any omissions as he [and other campaigners] marched in bad weather. Artists have also been remembering the Sewol in their work.
Analysis: Five years on, the Saewol ferry disaster, when 306 people lost their lives, continues to cast a dark shadow over Korean national life. The disaster was due at least in part to the ferry having been illegally overloaded, but the details of the tragedy which were specific to Korean culture also led to deep reflection amongst the populace; the vast majority of the passengers who died were following instructions from the crew to remain where they were as the ship began taking on water.