I was in Korea in November and the sinking of the Sewol ferry is still a major subject of public interest, anger, controversy, and debate. There were reports of court proceedings involving the company and crew members while I was there.
Even when the news reports were in Korean, I frequently saw images of the sinking vessel on the TV screen. At first I thought that there must have been another sinking of a different ferry; because the images appeared on so many channels - but then I realized that the reports were related to April's tragedy of the Sewol sinking but that the news was about the trials.
There is still much evidence of public anger. I saw billboards in multiple languages demanding justice for the families of victims and I saw people picketing on the street and waving placards, but I don't know the significance of the location of the demonstration, maybe it was the court building or near the memorial, I only saw it from a taxi.
It was all peaceful, there was no violence but you could see the passion and anger in the faces of the people. Other people want the tragedy to be over and the healing to begin; they feel that the country is being held hostage by the grief of the families and all the media frenzy.
I didn't quite understand it all but apparently there are a small number of very wealthy and powerful families that own many of South Korea's major industries, including the maritime company that owned and operated the Sewol ferry. There were accusations that this family operated "above the law" and that was a major factor in the violations (cargo overloaded, ballast underweighted, illegal ship modifications, poor crew training) that contributed to the disaster.
There was much criticism of the rescue efforts that seemed inefficient and poorly coordinated. In fact, the entire ROK Coast Guard is being completely restructured under new leadership. The Prime Minister also resigned because of the Sewol, not only because of the bungled rescue operation but also because of the inadequate and incorrect information that was disseminated.
But there was also much praise for the individual rescuers including divers, called martyrs, that gave their lives to assist survivors, search for bodies, and investigate this tragic event. I know that they were still searching for bodies in October but I don't know how long that could continue after the weather turned colder.
South Korea is a beautiful, modern, charming country and the people are friendly and welcoming. I really enjoyed my visit, but even an outsider like me could see that the sinking of the Sewol has had a major impact and will bring about many future changes - in government, culture, military structure, and society.
Maybe this is all old news to many, but being there made me much more aware of the tragedy and its aftermath. I didn't realize all of the many deep and far-ranging consequences that have taken place (and will continue to occur) because of the Sewol sinking.
