'Sewol Ferry Memorial Ceremony' Attended by Yeo Yoon-jaeok and Opposition's Hong Ik-pyo

Memorial Ceremony for Sewol Ferry Held in Ansan, Home of Danwon High School
Attended by Cho Kuk, Lee Jun-seok, Jang Hye-young, Kim Jong-min, and Others

The leadership of both ruling and opposition parties attended the '4·16 Sewol Ferry Disaster 10th Anniversary Memorial Ceremony' to pay tribute to the victims of the tragedy.

Yoon Jae-ok, floor leader of the People Power Party, and Hong Ik-pyo, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, attended the memorial ceremony held at Hwarang Recreation Area in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, at 3 p.m. on the 16th. Also present were Cho Guk, leader of the Joguk Innovation Party; Lee Jun-seok, leader of the Reform Party; Jang Hye-young, acting floor leader of the Green Justice Party; and Kim Jong-min, co-leader of the New Future Party. During the event, Lee Jun-seok and Yoon Hee-sook, standing representatives of the Progressive Party, were seen wiping away tears.

On the afternoon of the 16th, participants including Yoon Jae-ok, floor leader of the People Power Party, and Hong Ik-pyo, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, are observing a moment of silence at the '10th Anniversary Memorial Ceremony of the Sewol Ferry Disaster' held at Hwarang Recreation Area in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The memorial ceremony hosted by the 4·16 Foundation was held to honor the victims of the disaster and to establish and spread a culture of safety. Under the theme "Memory, Promise, Responsibility of April 16, 2014," more than 100 bereaved families and mourners attended, participating in moments of silence, eulogies, and readings of remembrance letters for the victims.

Earlier that morning, various political parties including the Democratic Party and the People Power Party conveyed messages of condolence through their public relations offices and personal Facebook pages. Shin Ji-hye, spokesperson for the New Progressive Alliance, stated in a written briefing in the afternoon, "We pray for the souls of those who perished in the Sewol Ferry disaster," adding, "The entire nation was helplessly grieved as they watched the ship sink."

At 4:16 p.m. that day, Gyeonggi Province sounded a memorial siren around Danwon District Office in Ansan City. The one-minute alert siren aimed to provide a moment for collective mourning of the victims. A Gyeonggi Province official urged, "Since this is not an air raid shelter siren, Ansan citizens should not be alarmed but join in the memorial."