12th Anniversary Sewol Ferry Memorial: Calls for Full Truth and a Safe Society

On the 11th, five days before the 12th anniversary of the Sewol ferry disaster, a memorial event was held in downtown Seoul to honor the victims.

On the 11th, five days before the 12th anniversary of the Sewol ferry disaster, mourners are paying their respects at the civic memorial altar set up at the May 18 Democratic Plaza in Dong-gu, Gwangju. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Civic groups, including the 4.16 Solidarity, held the "12th Anniversary Sewol Ferry Disaster Remembrance and Promise Citizens' Rally" on Sejong-daero in front of Sungnyemun Gate, Jung-gu, Seoul on this day. According to unofficial police estimates, about 500 people attended the event.

Participants held signs bearing slogans such as "Full Truth, Full Responsibility for the Sewol Ferry Disaster" and "Let's Build a Society That Respects Life and Safety," and called for the following: official acknowledgment of state responsibility and an official apology, full public disclosure of all undisclosed records, enactment of the Basic Act on Life and Safety, and a complete overhaul of the national disaster response system.

Kim Soon-gil, Secretary General of the 4.16 Sewol Ferry Disaster Families' Association and mother of the late Jin Yunhee, a Sewol victim, stated, "From the young people who perished in the alleyways of Itaewon to those who never returned from the Muan Airport Jeju Air passenger plane disaster, the number of lives lost because the state failed to protect them continues to increase." She went on to say, "This is why we are calling for the enactment of the Basic Act on Life and Safety. It would serve as the minimum safeguard to ensure that those who have lost loved ones in disasters can grieve freely and have their right to know the truth about why such tragedies occurred protected."

Park Sehee, co-representative of the 4.16 Solidarity, mentioned that the court had ruled the previous day that the Park Geun-hye administration must disclose the list of documents from the Blue House on the day of the Sewol ferry disaster, saying, "This marks the starting point for uncovering the truth behind the 'Sewol seven-hour suspicion.'"

Meanwhile, participants from a conservative group approached the rally and shouted, "Investigate the Muan Airport disaster with a special prosecutor, too," leading to some friction. However, police separated the groups, and no major clashes occurred.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.