Organizers Estimate Over 5,000 Participants
4·16 Memory Culture Festival on Road in Front of Seoul City Hall
On the 13th, three days before the 10th anniversary of the Sewol ferry disaster, thousands of citizens gathered in downtown Seoul to commemorate the victims and pray for a safe society.
Participants are observing a moment of silence at the 4.16 Memory Culture Festival marking the 10th anniversary of the Sewol Ferry disaster, held on Sejong-daero in front of Seoul City Hall on the 13th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
The 4·16 Sewol Ferry Disaster Families' Association (Ga-hyeop) and the 10th Anniversary Committee of the Sewol Ferry Disaster held the '4·16 Memory Cultural Festival' from around 5:30 p.m. on the road in front of Seoul City Hall to mourn the victims and comfort the bereaved families. The cultural festival, held under the theme "Though time passes, we have never forgotten," was attended by an estimated 5,000 people according to the organizers (about 3,000 according to the police).
According to Yonhap News, participants held placards with phrases such as "Complete truth of the Sewol ferry disaster! Full responsibility!" and shouted slogans like "Guarantee the right to safety and enact the Basic Life Safety Act," and "Acknowledge and apologize for the state's responsibility in the Sewol and Itaewon disasters." Kim Jong-gi, an operating committee member of Ga-hyeop and father of the late Kim Su-jin, said at the cultural festival, "The 10 years of remembering, acting, and standing together to create a society where the lives and safety of the people are protected is by no means a wasted time," adding, "It is infuriating that the state, which should be the one to change, remains unchanged and fails to fulfill its duties, while citizens pay the price with their lives."
He continued, "Let us, as adults and parents, build together a safe society where everyone can enjoy happiness and ordinary daily life, and where our children can freely develop their talents in the future," and added, "We will change this anxious society where anyone could become tomorrow’s victim or bereaved family member."
Lee Jung-min, chairperson of the 10·29 Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families Association, also said, "If the state continues to ignore its responsibility for the disaster, citizens will continue to suffer even after 20 years," urging, "President Yoon Suk-yeol and the ruling party must deeply reflect on the election results and prioritize reviewing life safety issues to atone for past regressions." The cultural festival was hosted by film director Byun Young-joo, and singer Lucid Fall also took the stage to perform songs including "Still Here." Twenty-two elected members of the 22nd National Assembly from the Democratic Party and the Democratic United Party, including Jin Sun-mi, Park Ju-min, and Park Chan-dae, also participated in the festival.
Before the cultural festival, from around 3 p.m., civic groups set up booths for pre-events. Citizens dressed in black attached yellow paper butterflies symbolizing the victims to their shoulders. The so-called "Sewol generation," who were high school students at the time of the disaster and are now in their mid to late 20s, also visited. Bereaved families of the Itaewon and Osong disasters distributed purple and light green ribbons respectively at their booths. After visiting the booths, citizens also stopped by the nearby Itaewon disaster memorial altar to pay tribute to the victims.
Citizens wrote messages on a large white poster, such as "I hope today will be a day when people can freely speak about the safety of the nation," and "Please create a world where we can live, not just survive," expressing their wishes for a safe society.
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