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11 years after Sewol tragedy, time still hasn't healed all

Published: 16 Apr. 2025, 15:38 Updated: 17 Apr. 2025, 15:51

A memorial ceremony is held at Mokpo Port in South Jeolla on the 11th anniversary of the Sewol ferry disaster on April 16. [YONHAP]

MOKPO, South Jeolla — As the clock struck 3 p.m. on Wednesday at Mokpo Port, a solemn silence fell over the crowd gathered for the 11th anniversary of the Sewol ferry disaster.

A bereaved parent broke down in tears as Kim Sung-ha read a letter to her late son, Lee Ho-jin, one of the 250 Danwon High School students who died in the 2014 tragedy.

“My son Ho-jin, when you first called me ‘mom,’ I was overwhelmed with joy,” Kim said.

“I went to see the cherry blossoms when I suddenly began to cry. My heart ached. I hope you’re doing well.”

As Kim continued, other family members in the crowd also wept openly, unable to hold back their tears. They had gathered once again to remember the victims of the tragedy, most of them high school students who never came home.

Families of victims of the Sewol ferry disaster hang yellow ribbons at a memorial service held in Jindo County, South Jeolla, on April 16. [NEWS1]

Bereaved families say 'time stopped 11 years ago'

Many families said they still live in the moment of April 16, 2014, unable to move forward from the day the ferry capsized. Looking toward the hull of the Sewol, now resting at Mokpo Port, they quietly mourned.

Families affected by more recent tragedies joined them in remembrance. Relatives of victims from the Jeju Air plane crash in December attended the ceremony in solidarity.

From the early morning, mourners had arrived at Mokpo Port to pay their respects in front of the Sewol ferry. Many wrote messages like “We will not forget” and “Rest in peace” on yellow ribbons and tied them to the barbed wire fence surrounding the vessel. Some stood in silence, gazing at the rusting hull beyond the fence, brushing away tears or bowing their heads in prayer.

A family member of a Sewol ferry victim wipes his tears at a memorial held at Jindo County, South Jeolla, on April 16. [YONHAP]

Visitors reflect on grief and legacy

Among the mourners was Lim Seok-young, 65, who traveled from Hadong County in South Gyeongsang.

“I visited Paengmok Port this morning and decided I had to see the ship too,” Lim said. “Seeing the photos of those young students breaks my heart. I hope they are at peace.”

Park Jeong-kyu, 38, came with their elementary-aged son from Suncheon, South Jeolla.

“I volunteered at the gym in Jindo at the time of the disaster,” Park said. “I can still see the faces of the grieving parents. After becoming a parent myself, I understand their pain more deeply.”

Families of victims of the Sewol ferry tragedy throw cherry blossoms into the sea on a boat at Jindo County, South Jeolla, on April 16, the 11th anniversary of the disaster. [YONHAP]

Families scatter cherry blossoms at site of tragedy

Earlier that morning on Wednesday, families boarded a Coast Guard vessel for a sea memorial held where the ship sank near Jindo County, South Jeolla. They tossed chrysanthemums and cherry blossoms — picked from the grounds of Danwon High School — into the sea.

Bae Hee-chun, the father of the late Bae Hyang-mae, called out his daughter’s name as he cast the blossoms into the waves.

“Hyang-mae, I miss you. I miss you so much,” he cried toward the water.

Kim Jeong-hwa, head of the April 16 Danwon High School Families’ Council, reflected on what could have been.

“When I see young people who are now adults, I can’t help but wonder what our children would be doing now. I hope Korea becomes a safer and happier country in their memory,” Kim said.

Visitors place flowers on an altar at a memorial for the Sewol ferry tragedy set up at Incheon on April 16. [YONHAP]

Mourners nationwide pay tribute

The memory of the Sewol victims reverberated far beyond Mokpo.

In Ansan, Gyeonggi — home to Danwon High School — the April 16 Foundation held a remembrance ceremony at Hwarang Park. In Seoul, the April 16 Citizens’ Coalition organized a citizen memorial at the Sewol remembrance site outside the Seoul Metropolitan Council at 4:16 p.m., marking the exact time and date of the tragedy.

In Gwangju, visitors continued to leave tributes at a public altar set up in May 18 Democracy Square. The Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education also marked the anniversary with a memorial at Mokpo Port earlier this week and declared a special remembrance week through April 18.

Rescue workers conduct a nighttime search operation near the site of the sunken Sewol ferry, 20 kilometers north of Byeongpung Island in Jodo-myeon, Jindo County, South Jeolla, on April 16, 2014. [JOONGANG ILBO]

A national wound unhealed

On April 16, 2014, the Sewol ferry sank off the coast of Jindo en route from Incheon to Jeju Island. Of the 476 people on board, 304 died. Among them were 261 students and teachers from Danwon High School on a school trip.

Eleven years on, the disaster remains a scar on the national conscience — a painful reminder of lives lost, questions unanswered and promises of safety still in the making. Families of the victims continue to demand full accountability and remembrance, fearing that time may dull the tragedy in the public’s memory.

Investigation concluded, legal battle continues

Last November, the Mokpo Regional Maritime Safety Tribunal concluded its reinvestigation, citing steering system failure, insufficient vessel stability, overloading and negligent safety management by the shipping company and crew as contributing factors.

As a result, the tribunal revoked the licenses of five individuals, including then-Captain Lee Jun-seok, and suspended the licenses of three others for up to one year. It also issued corrective orders for Chonghaejin Marine, the Sewol’s operator.

The company and individuals involved have appealed the decision, and a second review is currently underway at the Central Maritime Safety Tribunal.

Updated, April 16, 2025: Added details about memorial events across the country on the day.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY CHOI KYEONG-HO, HWANG HEE-GYU [[email protected]]