hankyoreh

cries while receiving a carnation at the government memorial to the Sewol

a Danwon High School teacher who lost her life in the Sewol ferry sinking

“I cried all morning. I received the Teacher’s Day carnations instead of our beautiful daughter.”

Kim Seong-wook struggled to finish his sentences. The 59-year-old is the father of the late Kim Cho-won, a 26-year-old Danwon High School teacher who lost her life in the Sewol ferry sinking. For Teacher‘s Day on May 14, Kim Cho-won was recognized on the orders of President Moon Jae-in as having died in the line of duty

“We fought for three years with the support and encouragement of the entire South Korean public, but it’s only now that I see my daughter’s death was not in vain,” the father, who is currently staying in his hometown of Geochang, South Gyeongsang Province, told a Hankyoreh reporter in a telephone interview that day. In March, Kim underwent surgery to receive artificial vocal cords - his own having been shredded by his appeals over the past years to have his daughter’s noble sacrifice recognized.

father of the late Kim Cho-won

At around 4 pm that day, Moon personally called Kim to share his condolences. When Kim expressed his gratitude over his daughter‘s recognition, Moon replied, “The government didn’t do what it should have done. It’s not something we should be thanked for.”

“We need to change the system to recognize it as a death in the line of duty when a [fatal] accident occurs during the course of public duties, whether it’s a regular or hourly job,” Moon continued.

“I’m sure this is much more painful for you being Teacher’s Day. I want to express my condolences,” he added.

A total of twelve schoolteachers were on the Sewol ferry at the time of its sinking, including Vice-Principal Kang Min-kyu, who was 52 at the time of his death. Two of them have still not been recovered. While the seven full-time teachers were all recognized as having died in the line of duty, the recognition had not been granted to three of them: Kang, who took his own life because of his own feelings of responsibility for the tragedy, and two teachers hired on a temporary basis, Kim and Lee Ji-hye (31 at the time of the tragedy). Kim and Lee both perished in the sinking after descending from the fifth to the fourth level where the students were to help them put on life vests and escape.

Kim Seong-wook (center)

By Kim Gi-seong, south Gyeonggi correspondent, and Lee Jung-ae, staff reporter

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