Busan Office of Education to Operate 'Safety Week' for the 11th Anniversary of the April 16 Sewol Ferry Disaster

Safety Week to Run from April 14 to 18
Moment of Silence for Victims at 10 a.m. on April 16

The Busan Metropolitan Office of Education (Superintendent Kim Seokjun) has designated the period from April 14 to 18 as "Safety Week" to mark the 11th anniversary of the April 16 Sewol Ferry Disaster, and plans to hold a memorial event under the theme "From Remembrance to Action, Toward a Safer Tomorrow."

Busan Metropolitan Office of Education will operate a "Safety Week" for the 11th anniversary of the April 16 Sewol Ferry disaster.

This event is intended to honor the memory of the students and teachers from Danwon High School in Gyeonggi Province who lost their lives in the Sewol Ferry Disaster that sank near Jindo on April 16, 2014, and to create a safe educational environment that does not forget the lessons of the tragedy.

Banners reminding people of the painful memory of the disaster and the importance of safety will be hung at the Office of Education building and displayed on electronic boards. In addition, memorial banners and other promotional materials will be posted on the Office of Education website.

All staff members of the Office of Education will observe a moment of silence at 10 a.m. on April 16, the day of the disaster, to commemorate the victims. On this day, schools, district offices of education, and affiliated institutions in the Busan area will also be encouraged to hold a moment of silence at their discretion.

Furthermore, schools have been guided to use homeroom periods or creative experiential activity times to independently conduct safety education on disaster and daily safety, and to organize safety-related events according to their circumstances.

Superintendent Kim Seokjun stated, "The Sewol Ferry Disaster was a major accident that reminded our entire society of the importance of safety and was a heartbreaking incident in which many students and teachers lost their lives. On the 11th anniversary of the Sewol Ferry Disaster, I hope this will serve as an opportunity for students and staff to further strengthen their awareness of safety."