Sewol Ferry Survivor Passes Away... "Telling Them to Live for Their Friends Is Violence"

Obituary of Sewol Ferry Disaster Survivor
"Ultimately Joined Their Friends"
"Just Hope They Can Live Ordinary Lives"

It has been reported that one of the survivors of the Sewol Ferry Disaster in 2014 recently passed away.

According to the wishes of the deceased, the bereaved family, in consultation with the city of Ansan, arranged for the individual to be interred on June 21 at Ansan Sky Park, where many Danwon High School students who died in the disaster are laid to rest.

Photo shared publicly by Kyunggeun Yu, former executive committee member of the Sewol Ferry Disaster Family Association, on the 21st, announcing that a surviving student of the Sewol Ferry disaster recently passed away. Instagram capture

On the 21st, Yukyung Geun, former executive member of the Sewol Ferry Disaster Family Association, shared on Instagram, "A student who, in the aftermath of the Sewol Ferry Disaster, suffered extreme pain and tried multiple times to follow their friends, has ultimately joined their friends at Ansan Sky Park," adding, "Many people shared in the sorrow."

In a post titled "Why do I have to live for my friends too?" he wrote, "Many people grieved together. A few days ago was also the anniversary of diver Kim Kwan-hong. I hope we do not forget that not only the victims who lost their lives and their families, but also the surviving students and civilian divers, are all victims."

He continued, "Saying, 'You have to live diligently for your friends who went ahead,' is something that should never be said. The surviving students returned after witnessing their friends die firsthand. Simply because they survived, they have faced cold stares and guilt, making it difficult to even get through daily life, let alone pursue their dreams."

Wreath Laying Ceremony for the Sewol Ferry Disaster. Yonhap News Agency

He added, "Telling the surviving students that they must live for their friends who passed away is not just secondary victimization, but a terrible act of violence that is almost akin to murder," adding, "I know such words come from a place of sorrow and the hope that they will live well, but I hope people refrain from saying them so lightly."

Yukyung Geun also expressed his hope that the remaining survivors will be able to simply live ordinary lives in the future. He said, "I would be glad if they could just live normally, just like everyone else. I know it is a truly difficult, perhaps even impossible, thing to ask."

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