"We Will Not Forget"... Wave of Memorials for the 12th Anniversary of the Sewol Ferry Disaster

To mark the 12th anniversary of the Sewol ferry disaster, a month-long series of memorial events is taking place in Mokpo, Jeollanam-do.

The Mokpo Regional Joint Action Committee for Never Forget the Sewol Ferry (co-chaired by Park Hyunsook and Baek Eunkyung) announced on April 10 that it has designated the period from April 1 to April 30 as the official memorial period, during which a variety of programs are being held, including exhibitions, film screenings, memorial ceremonies, and cultural festivals.

First, the “12th Anniversary Sewol Ferry Disaster Memorial Exhibition” is underway at Tong Gallery in Mokpo’s original downtown area. Seventeen artists from across the country, including artist Kang Hyunhwa, are participating, presenting works that express the pain of the disaster and offer comfort to the victims.

A film screening program has also been organized. From April 15 to April 18, Mokpo Art Cinema and the independent theater CinemaMM will host the “Memorial Screening.” During this period, films such as “To Joohee,” “Zero Sum,” and “S.E.W.O.L” will be shown. There will also be Q&A sessions with directors Yoon Solji (“Zero Sum”) and Jason Bernie (“S.E.W.O.L”).

12th Anniversary Mokpo Memory Festival Poster. Provided by the Mokpo Regional Joint Action Committee for Remembering the Sewol Ferry.

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The main event, the “12th Anniversary Mokpo Memorial Ceremony for the Sewol Ferry Disaster,” will be held at 3 p.m. on April 16 in front of the Sewol ferry hull at Mokpo New Port.

The ceremony will include memorial speeches, tribute messages, music performances, and the laying of flowers, followed by a performance where bereaved families and citizens will launch yellow paper airplanes. In addition to the 4·16 Danwon High School Families' Association, families of the Itaewon and Jeju Air tragedies will participate, adding further significance to the event.

On April 19, a “Memory Culture Festival” will also be held at Mokpo Peace Square. The event will feature performances and the reading of memory letters by youth participants, as well as citizen-participation programs such as the “Truth Revealing Pot Breaking” and Ganggangsullae, a traditional Korean circle dance.

In addition, the “5th 4·16 Life and Safety Jeonnam Youth Art Contest” will take place.

Co-chair Park Hyunsook stressed, “Only through reflection on, and accountability for, the repeated social disasters since Sewol can we move toward a safer society.”

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