hankyoreh

Emma Kathleen Ferrer

“Instead of flowers, we are dedicating a forest. Just as trees grow stronger with time, so we hope the Sewol is never forgotten.”

This message of solidarity was delivered at a ceremony in Jindo, South Jeolla Province, on Apr. 9 to mark the completion of a memorial forest commemorating the 304 victims in the 2014 Sewol ferry sinking. It was shared by two grandchildren of actor Audrey Hepburn: 21-year-old Emma Kathleen Ferrer and 20-year-old Adone Hofer Ferrer.

“We wanted to reach out and help heal the indescribable suffering the family members of the Sewol victims are experiencing,” they explained.

“Sown with seeds of life and love, we hope this forest will give comfort to the victims’ families and be a space of memory for the public.”

Ferrer and Hofer Ferrer were attending on behalf of respective father and stepfather Sean Hepburn Ferrer, who originally proposed building the forest. With yellow ribbons tied on their chests, they delivered a solemn memorial to the victims.

“Flowers may wilt, but forests do not. The trees in this forest grow stronger and mightier over time, so that this incident is never forgotten,” they said.

After the ceremony, the 100 or so attendees tied yellow ribbons on the more than 300 ginkgo trees planted to honor the victims.

The forest was first proposed at last year’s first anniversary of the sinking to the social enterprise Tree Planet and the group 4/16 Sewol Families for Truth and a Safer Society by Hepburn Ferrer, a human rights activist and son of Audrey Hepburn. An online fundraising effort resulted in 2,985 people in South Korea and overseas making donations of nearly 212 million won (US$184,000) - more than double the target amount.

The forest was planted on a hill in Baekdong, a village located in the Imhoe township of Jindo County at a distance of exactly 4.16 kilometers from Paengmok Port - a number chosen after the date of the sinking (April 16, 2014). Ginkgo trees were planted because of their thousand-year lifespan and yellow tinge, reflecting the message of remembering and commemoration. A “memory wall” in the shape of the Korean letter for “S” was built in the center, with a length of 416 centimeters. On its surface are the engraved names of the victims, along with messages of commemoration, information about the forest’s making, and names of donors. The top portion is divided into 304 furrows - one for each of the victims - bearing messages of longing and waiting.

“I hope the people who see this forest and the wall will confront the facts of the Sewol tragedy,” said the designer, architect Yang Su-in.

By Ahn Kwan-ok, Gwangju correspondent

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