South Korea Ferry Tragedy
On Tuesday, April 15th, 2014, the Sewol, a passenger and cargo ferry owned by Chonghaejin Marine Company, left from the port of Incheon on the northwest coast of South Korea. It was carrying 475 passengers and crew, of which 339 were students and teachers from Danwon High School in Ansan, Gyeonggi province. The ferry was bound for Jeju Island, a popular resort destination, where these students were to have a much-anticipated four-day vacation. Two Chinese nationals and one Russian national were also on board the Sewol, whose name means “time and tide” in Korean.
Wednesday, April 16th, 2014
Sewol issues a call to the Jindo Vessel Traffic Service saying the ship is sinking. Evacuations begin at 9:30am. The ship capsizes around 12:00pm, and everything but the hull is submerged by 2:00pm. The water is reported to be 54 degrees Fahrenheit. At this temperature, hypothermia occurs after about 90 minutes.
Thursday, April 17th, 2014
President Park Gyen-hye visits the gymnasium in Jindo where families of passengers are waiting for news. No survivors have been found, and families grow restless with the lack of news. They accuse the government of not sufficiently supporting rescue efforts and moving too slowly to help their trapped students.
Prime Minister Chung decides to stay in Mokpo with families’ of the missing to show the government’s solidarity in the rescue efforts.
Friday, April 18th, 2014
After being rescued from the sinking ship, vice principal Kang Min Kyu of Danwon High School is found on a hill near the Jindo gymnasium. He committed suicide, leaving a note that he felt guilty for being alive when so many under his care were dead, especially because the trip to Jeju was his idea. He wanted his ashes scattered where the Sewol sank. His funeral was held Monday, April 21. Many family members of victims are also on suicide watch.
Saturday, April 19th, 2014
A South Korean Navy petty officer died late Saturday night, after falling into a coma due to injuries he sustained during his unit’s support of the Sewol rescue. Only his surname, Yoon, was given to the public. His funeral was Tuesday at the Jeju Defense Command on Jeju Island.
Captain Lee Joon-Seok and two crew members were arrested. The 69-year-old Captain is charged with negligence and abandoning his ship, which could lead to a sentence of five years to life in prison.
Sunday, April 20th, 2014
More than 560 divers from the Navy, Coast Guard, and private civilians coordinated dives on Sunday to enter the Sewol. Weather and water conditions were finally amenable for divers to enter the ship in 20 minute shifts.
The first funerals were held Sunday for victims, including a student and a teacher from Danwon high school: Kim Cho-won was a first year teacher who died on her birthday, and Jeong Young-soo was a senior at Danwon.
Monday, April 21st, 2014
There are many heroic stories coming out of this tragedy. One of the most famous at this point is that of Park Ji-young, a 22-year-old who was employed part-time by the ferry company:
Park ensured teenage passengers had life jackets and were exiting the sinking ship. She told them she would exit once all passengers had safely been rescued. She didn’t make it.
31,000 people have signed a petition asking the South Korean government to legally recognize Park’s heroism and sacrifice. This official recognition would enable her family to receive financial compensation as well as health and education benefits, as well as allowing Park to be buried in a national cemetery. This legal recognition system was created to support surviving family members of those who had risked their lives by going above and beyond the call of their duties.
Tuesday, April 22nd, 2014
Four more crew members were issued arrest warrants. Conflicting claims have come out of the crews interviews, so investigators have gathered some 30,000 text messages sent by 470 people aboard the Sewol between 6:30pm Tuesday night and 10:30am Wednesday morning. It is hoped these messages will give a clear timeline of events on the ship.
Wednesday, April 23rd, 2014
The entire nation of South Korea is grieving this disaster. Three major television networks — KBS, MBC, and SBS — have modified or cancelled their programming as of Friday, April 19 in deference to the gravity of the tragedy. Singing, dancing, or comedy programs have been replaced by live news coverage from Jindo, as well as K-pop stars postponing concerts andactively garnering support by donating to relief efforts. Condolences have come from major world leaders: United State’s President Barack Obama, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang, Romanian President Traian Basescu and Pope Francis. North Korea offered its sympathy as well, though notably after it criticized the South Korean government’s response. The Japanese government also offered condolences, a rare gesture in the tense relations between the two countries.
Thursday, April 24th, 2014
A yellow ribbon campaign is spreading online to show support for Sewol victims and families. People are posting a picture of a ribbon on a yellow background with the phrase “One small movement, big miracles” on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Big name K-pop stars are supporting the campaign in droves, like G-Dragon, Big Star, and Jo Kwon from music group 2am.
Classes for older students at Danwon High School will resume Thursday, April 24. Classes for the younger grades will resume next week. Counselors are available for students and staff at the school.
Schools of all levels in Gyeonngi-do (South Korea’s most populated province) have indefinitely postponed school trips. Thanks to Rebecca, an elementary school English teacher in Gyeonggi-do, for supplying that information.
Facts and information in this article are aggregated from The Korean Herald, Yonhap News Agency, NPR, BBC, and CNN.
