In solemn remembrance of the 10th anniversary of the tragic Sewol ferry incident, memorial events are being organized throughout South Korea today, on April 16 KST.
The day’s commemorations will begin with an offshore memorial ceremony near Jindo Island, Jeollanam-do, the site of the tragic accident. Ninety family members of the victims and others will board a ship at Mokpo Port, sailing to the disaster area. During the ceremony, they will call out the names of the 250 student victims one by one, offering silent prayers and tributes in their honor.
Following the offshore ceremony, family members will move to Mokpo New Port, where the Sewol ferry is currently located. At 2:30 PM, they will join local civic groups to host a memorial cultural festival. Notably, family members of the 10.29 Itaewon tragedy victims will also attend this event.
In addition to the main memorial events, several other ceremonies will be held across the country:
- Incheon Family Park: A memorial ceremony will be held at the Sewol Ferry public victims memorial hall within Incheon Family Park at 11 AM.
- Daejeon National Cemetery: A ceremony will also conducted at the Daejeon National Cemetery to honor the public officials who died in the line of duty at 11 AM.
- Gyeonggi Province: To mark the occasion, a siren will be sounded for one minute in the vicinity of Danwon-gu Office in Ansan at 4:16 PM.
On this solemn occasion, the National Human Rights Commission released a statement on behalf of Chairman Song Du Hwan. The statement offered condolences to the families of the victims and emphasized the need for the government and the National Assembly to make fundamental institutional improvements. The aim is to prevent similar disasters from recurring, underscoring the importance of learning from the tragic events of the past.
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