Sewol Ferry Disaster 10th Anniversary Memorial Ceremony Held at Jindo Paengmok Port

"Join Us at Paengmok Port"... Remembered as a Symbolic Place of Healing Beyond Remembrance

"10 Years Since the Sewol Ferry Disaster, Truth Investigation and Building a Safe Society Still Incomplete"

On April 16, 2014, the passenger ferry Sewol, en route from Incheon to Jeju, sank in the Maenggol Channel near Jindo. Of the 476 passengers on board, 172 survived, and 304 were victims, including 5 who remain missing.

The Sewol disaster and the government's inadequate response plunged our society into great turmoil and became a decisive factor in the collapse of the Park Geun-hye administration.

Broadly speaking, the Sewol disaster taught our society one important lesson: to prevent social disasters and overcome them without chaos, a highly advanced ‘safe society system’ is necessary.

The investigation into the truth of the Sewol disaster has not yet been completed. Many follow-up policies for building a safe society, such as truth-finding efforts and the creation of memorial spaces initiated during the Moon Jae-in administration, have been largely halted or remain at a standstill.

On April 16, the 10th anniversary memorial ceremony for the Sewol ferry disaster will be held at Jindo Paengmok Port.
[Photo by Sewol Ferry Disaster 10th Anniversary Jindo Solidarity]

‘Paengmok Port’ is where the victims first came ashore and met their families. A memorial altar was erected at the site of the temporary morgue, and now, 10 years later, the ‘Paengmok Memory Hall’ stands there.

The Paengmok Memory Hall was originally a temporary family support facility made from containers, scheduled to be dismantled along with the salvage of the Sewol hull. However, it has been preserved to this day due to demands from the Sewol Families Association and civic groups.

Since the truth-finding and subsequent measures have not been completed, and because Paengmok Port has become a symbolic space for the Sewol disaster and recovery efforts, there is a need to create a memorial space for healing and learning to ensure that such a social tragedy never happens again as a lesson learned.

Proposing alternatives such as securing a replacement site for the Jindo Memory Hall; Families Association and civic groups cooperating to avoid harm to Jindo County

The Sewol Disaster 10th Anniversary Jindo Coalition, which is organizing this event, hopes that beyond commemorating the 10th anniversary, a ‘Paengmok Port Memory Space’ will be established as soon as possible to remember the disaster site and recovery process and serve as a lesson to prevent any future unjust and tragic social disasters.

Fortunately, the long-unresolved issue of establishing the ‘Paengmok Port Memory Space’ is moving toward a solution ahead of the 10th anniversary, thanks to mediation by local civic groups in Jindo and policy changes by Jindo County.

Jindo County had requested the Families Association to dismantle the temporary facilities at the site of the Paengmok Memory Hall, which is a parking lot for passenger and cargo container ships. However, recently, the county proposed an alternative site for the memory hall and suggested specializing the ‘Lighthouse Breakwater,’ a symbolic place for Sewol disaster memorial and recovery, as the memory space to the Families Association.

The Families Association and civic groups have also demanded the creation of a memorial space including a park on the site of the old Paengmok Port memorial altar. With the inauguration of the 8th civilian administration (County Governor Kim Hee-su), which proposed an alternative memory space, they are seeking a solution before the 10th anniversary.

On April 15, 2015, a memorial service was held at Paengmok Port, the accident site, urging the salvage of the Sewol ferry one year after the disaster.
[Photo by Sewol Ferry Disaster 10th Anniversary Jindo Solidarity]

Sewol Disaster 10th Anniversary Jindo Paengmok Port Memorial Ceremony, including Jindo Ssikkimgut and Jindo Gugak High School Memorial Performances

On the 16th, marking the 10th anniversary of the Sewol disaster, various events will be held at Paengmok Port in Jindo from 10 a.m. to 4:16 p.m. Visitor participation activities include watching memorial videos, a yellow bookshop, writing the names of the 304 victims, hanging flags, offering flowers, and tying ribbons.

From 1 p.m., the Jindo Sopo-gul Gun Nongak Preservation Society will perform the ‘Memory Stepping Jilgut,’ and at 2 p.m., the Jindo Ssikkimgut Preservation Society will hold the Jindo Ssikkimgut ritual to honor the spirits of the victims.

From 3 p.m. to 4:16 p.m., a ‘Memorial and Remembrance Ceremony’ will take place, featuring eulogies from bereaved families and participating organizations, followed by memorial performances. Local singers and artists involved as Sewol activists will sing, and students from Jindo Gugak High School will conclude the 10th anniversary event with pansori and instrumental performances.

Jindo = Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Oh Seung-geun just8440@asiae.co.kr