Ferry disaster’s toll on South Korea’s national psyche
Judy Kwon and Kyung Lah, CNN
Updated
10:56 AM EDT, Sun April 27, 2014
Story highlights
Thousands pay their respects at a memorial in Ansan
Even those without a connection to the disaster are heartbroken
Yellow ribbons have become a symbol of mourning
(CNN) —
The middle-aged man stands in line, patiently waiting. He’s wearing the de facto uniform of the Seoul businessman, a fitted black suit and thin tie. He’s driven an hour to be here at the memorial site at Ansan, joining the 100,000 mourners paying their respects before the school portraits of children who will never grow old.
“I’m a father of two kids,” he weeps, his hand firmly over his chest, as if to press in a breaking heart. “I just am very sorry because I can do nothing for these families. I just want to come here to say I’m very sorry to these families.”
He knew no one aboard the Sewol ferry – his life in Seoul should be blissfully separate from the unfolding disaster at sea. But he embodies the grief, guilt and anger that leaves virtually no one in South Korea untouched.
Nation in yellow
The main road into Jindo is lined with yellow. Every 6 feet, another yellow ribbon waves in the wind of the passing cars. At Danwon High School in Ansan, where the junior class lost three quarters of its students in the ferry disaster, yellow ribbons are tied at the gates. But these ribbons didn’t start at the disaster site or the school.
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A relative of a victim weeps as she and others stand on the deck of a boat during a visit to the site of the sunken Sewol ferry on April 15, 2015 -- one day before the one year anniversary of the disaster.
PHOTO:
Ed Jones - Pool/Getty Images
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A relative hands out flowers to others on the deck of a boat during a visit to the site of the sunken ferry. More than 100 relatives of victims of South Korea's Sewol ferry disaster tearfully cast flowers into the sea.
PHOTO:
ED JONES/AFP/Getty Images
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A man hold a flower as he stands on the deck of a boat during a visit to the site of the sunken Sewol ferry, off the coast of South Korea's southern island of Jindo.
PHOTO:
ED JONES/AFP/Getty Images
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The mother of Sewol ferry disaster victim, Danwon High School student Lim Kyung-Bin, attends a rally to pay tribute to the victims of the ferry disaster on April 11, 2015, Seoul, South Korea.
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Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Image
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Relatives of victims of the Sewol ferry disaster march across a bridge over the Han river in Seoul on April 5, 2015. More than 200 people participated in the march from Ansan city. Many of them were the parents of the 250 students who died when the overloaded ferry sank off Jindo on April 16, 2014.
PHOTO:
ED JONES/AFP/Getty Images
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Relatives of victims of the Sewol ferry hold portraits of victims during a rally on April 5, 2015 in Seoul. Relatives, students and citizens attended the vigil to pay tribute to the victims of the ferry disaster and demanded that the wreckage be salvaged.
PHOTO:
Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
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Sewol ferry captain Lee Joon-Seok was acquitted of murder, avoiding a death sentence, but was sentenced to 36 years in jail on November 11 for his role in the maritime disaster that killed more than 300.
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Wonsuk Choi/AFP/Getty Images
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Shoes believed to belong to the missing and the deceased are on display at the harbor.
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K.J. Kwon
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Jindo harbor, where the search operation is based, has become a memorial for those who lost their lives. Yellow ribbons and photos are displayed as people come to pay their respects.
PHOTO:
K.J. Kwon
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A joint government-civilian task force is still looking for the missing, but winter is fast approaching.
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K.J. Kwon
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Ten are still missing from tragic ferry sinking last April, which killed more than 300. Six months later, families are still waiting for their loved ones to be found. The parents of 16-year-old Huh Da-yoon, pictured, are among them.
PHOTO:
K.J. Kwon
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The families of the ten who remain missing have been waiting in Jindo Indoor Gymnasium since the first day. Families can watch search mission in real time on a large monitor in the gym.
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K.J. Kwon
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South Korean President Park Geun-hye weeps while delivering a speech to the nation about the sunken ferry Sewol at the presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, on Monday, May 19. More than 200 bodies have been found and nearly 100 people remain missing after the ferry sank April 16 off South Korea's southwest coast.
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Do Kwang-hwan/Yonhap/Ap
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Police in Seoul detain a protester during a march Saturday, May 17, for victims of the Sewol.
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YANG JI-WOONG/epa/LANDOV
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A girl in Seoul holds a candle during a service paying tribute to the victims of the Sewol on Wednesday, April 30.
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Ahn Young-joon/AP
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People pay tribute to victims at a memorial altar in Ansan, South Korea, on Tuesday, April 29.
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Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
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A police officer holds an umbrella for a relative of a missing ferry passenger Monday, April 28, in Jindo, South Korea.
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Ahn Young-joon/AP
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South Korean Buddhists carry lanterns in a parade in Seoul on Saturday, April 26, to honor the memory of the dead and the safe return of the missing.
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Divers search for people in the waters near Jindo on April 26.
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Yonhap/AP
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People in Ansan attend a memorial for the victims on April 26.
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NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP/Getty Images
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A diver jumps into the sea near the sunken ferry on Friday, April 25.
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Yonhap/AP
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A relative of a passenger weeps while waiting for news of his missing loved one at a port in Jindo on April 25.
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Ahn Young-joon/AP
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People attend a memorial for the victims at the Olympic Memorial Hall in Ansan on Thursday, April 24.
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KIM DOO-HO/AFP/Getty Images
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Yellow ribbons honoring the victims flap in the wind as a hearse carrying a victim's body leaves Danwon High School in Ansan on April 24. Most of the people on board the ferry were high school students on their way to the resort island of Jeju.
PHOTO:
Lee Jin-man/AP
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People attend a memorial for the victims at Olympic Memorial Hall in Ansan.
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KIM DOO-HO/AFP/Getty Images
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Search personnel dive into the sea on Wednesday, April 23.
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Yonhap/AP
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Flares light up the search area on Tuesday, April 22.
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ED JONES/AFP/Getty Images
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The sun sets over the site of the sunken ferry on April 22.
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ED JONES/AFP/Getty Images
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A relative of a ferry passenger prays as she waits for news in Jindo on April 22.
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Ahn Young-joon/AP
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The search for victims continues April 22 in the waters of the Yellow Sea.
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YONHAP/EPA/LANDOV
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Rescue workers in Jindo carry the body of a passenger on Monday, April 21.
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Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
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Divers jump into the water on April 21 to search for passengers near the buoys that mark the site of the sunken ferry.
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Yonhap/aP
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Search operations continue as flares illuminate the scene near Jindo on Sunday, April 20.
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Yonhap/AP
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Relatives of missing passengers grieve April 20 in Jindo.
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Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
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Relatives of passengers look out at the sea from Jindo on April 20.
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Lee Jin-man/AP
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Police officers in Jindo stand guard Saturday, April 19, to prevent relatives of the ferry's missing passengers from jumping in the water. Some relatives said they will swim to the shipwreck site and find their missing family members by themselves.
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Ahn Young-joon/AP
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Family members of missing passengers hug as they await news of their missing relatives at Jindo Gymnasium on April 19.
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KIMIMASA MAYAMA/EPA /LANDOV
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South Korean Navy Ship Salvage Unit members prepare to salvage the sunken ferry and search for missing people on April 19.
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KIMIMASA MAYAMA/EPA /LANDOV
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Lee Joon Suk, the captain of the Sewol, is escorted to the court that issued his arrest warrant Friday, April 18, in Mokpo, South Korea.
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Yonhap/AP
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A woman cries as she waits for news on missing passengers April 18 in Jindo.
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Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
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A searchlight illuminates the capsized ferry on Thursday, April 17.
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Yonhap/AP
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A woman cries during a candlelight vigil at Danwon High School in Ansan, South Korea, on April 17.
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Wonghae Cho/AP
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Family members of passengers aboard the sunken ferry gather at a gymnasium in Jindo on April 17.
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Ahn Young-joon/AP
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The body of a victim is moved at a hospital in Mokpo on April 17.
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Yonhap/AP
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Relatives of a passenger cry at a port in Jindo on April 17 as they wait for news on the rescue operation.
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Ahn Young-joon/AP
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South Korean coast guard members and rescue teams search for passengers at the site of the sunken ferry on April 17.
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Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
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A relative of a passenger cries as she waits for news on Wednesday, April 16.
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Ahn Young-joon/AP
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Relatives check a list of survivors April 16 in Jindo.
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Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
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Rescue crews attempt to save passengers from the ferry on April 16.
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Republic of Korea Coast Guard/Getty Images
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A relative waits for a missing loved one at the port in Jindo.
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Ahn Young-joon/AP
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Parents at Danwon High School search for names of their children among the list of survivors. Ansan is a suburb of Seoul, the South Korean capital.
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Ahn Young-joon/AP
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Helicopters hover over the ferry as rescue operations continue April 16.
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Yonhap/AP
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Officials escort rescued passengers April 16 in Jindo.
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Park Chul-heung/Yonhap/AP
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A passenger is helped onto a rescue boat on April 16.
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The Republic of Korea Coast Guard/Getty Images
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A passenger is rescued from the sinking ship on April 16.
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Republic of Korea Coast Guard/Getty Images
In the nation that refers to itself as the most wired in the world, South Korea’s ribbons began online, as a simple yellow square with the outline of a bow. University students designed the image and began to spread it on an instant messaging site in South Korea called Kakao Talk on April 19. The meaning began as a hopeful one, “one small step, big miracle.” As the death toll continues to rise, it’s evolved into a national sign of grief.
People are tying ribbons to their homes and schools across the country. The ribbons prominently appear on television news programs nearly every half hour, somber music sometimes playing underneath the slow-motion images of the yellow across the country. The prim presenters of South Korea’s television programs, whose female anchors tend to favor hot pink and royal blue, are all wearing grey and black suits. One story dominates the news channels – the Sewol ferry disaster, from the investigation to the national mourning.
On Korean language Twitter and Facebook, users share their grief in short messages with a yellow ribbon. Overwhelmingly, the messages tend to focus on a sense of rage and helplessness. “I am sorry that I couldn’t rescue you and help you,” Twitter user @sbja22 wrote.
Children, a nation’s treasure
The palpable desire to rescue the victims centers around who the passengers are – students from Danwon High School. Juniors in South Korea’s high schools have traditionally been granted a special outing or field trip before notoriously rigorous college entrance exams. The teenagers who boarded the Sewol ferry were experiencing a national rite of passage that turned to horror.
Children in South Korea are considered a family’s treasure, the ones who have traditionally been doted on and showered with attention. Obedience in the young is prized. Parental protection is the reward.
The Sewol disaster tears through much of the cultural structure expected in modern Korean society of children and elders. The first emergency call from the doomed ferry came from a Danwon student, 17-year-old Choi Duk-ha.
“Save us. We are on a ship, and I think it’s sinking,” he pleaded as he called emergency services. The adults on the ship failed to make the first distress call and would follow three minutes later. Choi Duk-ha would die on the Sewol ferry.
The crew, the ones trained to protect the passengers, issued a ship-wide announcement for passengers to remain in their cabins, instead of heading to the deck and the life rafts. The high school students, raised in that culture of obedience, overwhelmingly listened to that announcement. Survivors say the passengers who listened to that order were the ones who never made it off.
The crew then abandoned ship, being some of the first rescued by the coast guard. Television news broadcast images fueling national outrage – the captain jumping into a rescue boat as his young passengers remained trapped, wearing life vests that prevented them from swimming out of flooding rooms.
Systemwide failure
The Sewol ferry was first known as the Ferry Naminoue, built in Japan. It operated in Japan from 1994 to 2012. The Chonghaejin Marine Co. purchased the ferry on October 2012 and refurbished it. Chonghaejin added extra passenger cabins on the third, fourth and fifth decks, raising passenger capacity and altering the weight and balance of the vessel.
The ferry, renamed the Sewol, went through regulatory and safety checks, conducted by the Korean Register of Shipping. On its website, it lists its mission as “protecting life and property.” The organization says it has the ability to inspect vessels in 65 nations, from Australia to Spain.
The organization is private but works on behalf of the government. In the case of the Sewol, the Korean Register of Shipping conducted safety inspections, investigating its design and technology. The Sewol’s modifications passed inspection and began sailing with passengers last year, operating between Incheon and the resort island of Jeju.
“The modification was part of the reason for the (Sewol) accident,” believes Yutaka Watanabe, a marine science and technology professor at Tokyo University who has studied maritime accidents, including a similar ferry disaster in Japan in 2007. “They bought a used vessel from Japan and added lots of cabins, and these cabins were built on the top part of the ship. It shifted the center of gravity upward.”
In the wake of the Sewol sinking, Mokpo prosecutors have raided the Chonghaejin Marine Co. and the Korean Register of Shipping. Prosecutors tell CNN while they will not have a conclusion on what caused the accident for months, they are focusing on the retrofit of the Sewol and the shifting and overloading of cargo.
The prosecutor’s office also says the Mokpo Joint Investigation Force found serious safety failures on a sister ship, the Ohamana, also owned by the Chonghaejin Marine Co. Investigators found of the life rafts on board the Ohamana, 40 did not work. The emergency slides also did not work.
The Ohamana did not have any equipment to tie down cars being ferried on board. Shipping containers being transported did have equipment to tie them down, but it did not work very well. Korea’s Ministry of Ocean and Fisheries says the Ohamana ceased operations after the Sewol accident.
The sense of failure to protect the passengers extends to the South Korean Coast Guard and its rescue of the passengers who did make it to the upper decks of the Sewol. Television images showed the coast guard pulling crew members to safety, while the ferry bobbed on its side.
As Koreans look inward on this disaster, the sinking of the ferry is being viewed as an outrageous system failure, from the company that sought to increase passenger loads to the very government charged with protecting the passengers.
“It makes us wonder if we have to take charge of our own safety,” says Cynthia Yoo, assistant professor at Kyung Hee University. “We can’t take it for granted that there are proper government safeguards or proper inspections of safety requirements in place to protect us. I think the Sewol is a classic case of corruption or collusion between government agencies, associations and corporations. And it’s something that as a nation we must try to fix.”
The funerals are well underway, the school pictures of teenagers and teachers being broadcast on television and the Web part of the nation’s mourning process.
But there is another call beyond the cries of grief, an inward alarm to repair the flaws and prevent another disaster with such an immense loss.
