Explained: What Was The Sewol Ferry Tragedy In South Korea

On April 16th of 2014, the Sewol Ferry which departed from Incheon in South Korea going to Jeju Island, a tourist attraction place sank. The ferry went down at around 8:30 a.m. The ferry had 476 people on board along with the crew and the passengers. Among them, 306 people died among which there were around 250 students and 11 teachers from Danwon High School in Ansan City in the Southwest of Seoul, South Korea¡¯s capital city.

Most of the survivors who made it out alive were rescued by fisherman boats and other boats nearby. This is because the Korean Coastal Guard arrived late to the scene to rescue them. Everything with this case went wrong because if the captain and the crew had made better decisions, this tragedy could have been avoided.

Reuters/Representational Image

This devastating news shocked the entire nation. But at first, the news that was released said that all the passengers had been rescued which made the entire nation to sigh in relief. However, later the news was said to be false which made the entire nation mourn.

The situation was handled very poorly. The captain and crew asked the students of Danwon High to stay in their seats and they followed that instruction as that¡¯s what they were taught to do (remember they were 16 at the time). All of them could have survived if they were just asked to leave their seats and jump into the water with their life jackets. As said by a survivor of the tragedy, the students who were trapped were very close to the exit and could have easily made it out. The miss timing of the rescue operation played a huge role in the tragedy.

Another issue that made the public rage is the fact that the captain of the ferry who should have stayed to ensure the safety of the passengers was the first one to escape. Also, the South Korean president at that time, Park Geun Hye did not appear in the public for about seven hours since the news of the ship sinking was reported. The coastal guards who should be efficient in leading the rescue operation did not faithfully take part in protecting the lives and the safety of the people. The mistakes made by the government, the captain and the crew, and the coastal guards was unacceptable.

Reuters/Representational Image

The case is still very much unresolved. Why did the President go into hiding? Why did the ship sink in the first place? Why did it take so long for the rescue mission to commence? For the past years, many investigative committees have tried to answer the cause of the sinking but failed to reach a conclusive solution. The captain and his crew were sentenced to jail but the shocking part was that the coastal guards were not held accountable for it and did not receive any punishment for their negligence.

Many years might have passed since the tragedy but that day will never be forgotten. The Danwon High school made a memorial for all the victims of this tragedy in the shape of a yellow whale which now overlooks the school¡¯s playground. Also, the school has dedicated a classroom as a museum for the memories of the victims. Another reference for this tragedy was done by the global boy group BTS who wrote the song ¡°Spring Day¡± to pay homage to the victims.