hankyoreh

in support of the victims’ families

By Park Ki-yong, staff reporter

On Aug. 26, a volunteer of the Citizen Committee for Commemorating the Victims of the Sewol Tragedy helping out bereaved Sewol families said, “The toughest thing for them is the police bus barricade. They’re really upset they can’t meet with all the people who came to encourage and support them.” The response came after being asked about the most difficult thing for the victims’ families currently protesting in central Seoul for a special law on the tragedy, at a parking lot in front of Cheongwoon Hyojadong Community Service Center in Jongno district, about 500 meters away from the Blue House.

While some of the police buses were cleared away after complaints from New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) lawmakers that morning, police still had a line set up to prevent citizens from entering the area where the family members were camped out for a fifth straight day.

The day before, hundreds of students had come from Seoul National University and Kyung Hee University to cheer on the families, but after an hourlong confrontation with police, only a few representatives were allowed into the protest site. The others remained outside the barricade shouting “Stay strong” at the family members.

“It may have been even tougher for the students because they’re around the same age as so many of the victims,” said Lee Yun-sang, a 45-year-old minister with the Korean Presbyterian Church’s church and society committee who has been staying with the family members day and night since Aug. 23 to help out. Most of the 304 victims in the April ferry sinking were students of a second-year high school class.

“We’re grateful to have them here, but they’ve blocked it off so we can’t even meet them,” Lee continued. “Some people were in tears, they were so upset.”

Thanks to the outpouring of support from all around, the protesting family members don’t have to worry about food, but some are having problems digesting.

“A lot of them are asking about medicine for digestion,” said Kim Sa-ra, a 32-year-old doctor of oriental medicine. “Their eating patterns are irregular, and it’s a very stressful situation, so their digestive systems have really become weakened.”

As tired and upset as the family members are, they have a powerful show of support to draw strength from.

“We’re still in mourning,” said Kwon Mi-hwa, whose son Oh Young-seok was in the seventh class of second-year students at Danwon High School when he lost his life in the sinking. “It’s really hard, but there are a lot of people who call out for us to ‘stay strong’ when they pass by, and words like that really help in sticking it out from one day to the next.”

Kim Jae-man’s son Dong-young was in the sixth class at Danwon and also perished in the tragedy.

“We’re fighting because we want a cleaner, happier country and society,” he said. “That why we need the government to investigate and press charges.”

“We’re going to keep fighting to the end,” he added emphatically.

The Blue House remained quiet on the fifth day of the outdoor protest.

Meanwhile, a sympathy hunger strike at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul gained more and more participants. On Aug. 26, members of the Association of Writers for National Literature decided to begin the effort to call for the special Sewol Law.

“Instead of what was initially promised, political maneuvering and negotiations have turned the special Sewol Law into something that does not reflect its purpose and ignores the opinions of the family members,” the group said

The Korean Metal Workers’ Union, four of whose members lost children in the sinking, said it plans to visit the protest site at Gwanghwamun Square on Aug. 27 and 28 to hold a large strike rally directed at the Blue House.

who are calling for legislation of the special Sewol Law

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]