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President Moon Jae-in consoles a family member of one of the Sewol ferry disaster victims at the reception area of the Blue House on Aug. 16 (Blue House Photo Pool)

“I could have gotten [to the Blue House] so easily. It was nothing. . . . For three years, I slept on the street, I fasted, begging to have a chance to meet. Now it feels like all that resentment is erupting.”

Kim Yeong-o had tears in his eyes as he stood in the Blue House reception hall. Kim is known to many South Koreans as “Yu-min’s dad,” [having fought on behalf of victims of the 2014 Sewol ferry sinking that claimed his daughter Yu-min’s life].

President Moon Jae-in greeted survivors and family members of the victims in the Sewol ferry sinking at the Blue House reception hall for a 110-minute meeting at 1:30 pm on Aug. 16 to share his condolences and deliver a personal apology.

“I know it is late, but on behalf of the government I wish to offer a humble apology and words of consolation,” Moon said.

A total of 207 family members of Sewol victims attended the gathering, including Jeon Myeong-seon, steering committee chair for the group 4/16 Sewol Families for Truth and a Safer Society. Also present were Presidential Chief of Staff for Policy Jang Ha-sung, Senior Secretary to the President for Political Affairs Jun Byung-hun, and other Blue House officials, along with Minjoo Party lawmakers including Park Ju-min – who has been called the “Sewol lawyer” – and Jeon Hae-cheol and Kim Cheol-min, who represent districts in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province [where most of the victims were from].

Standing before the family members on Aug. 16, Moon appeared at a loss for words, standing with reddened eyes and nose for around 10 seconds before beginning.

“I have always remembered the Sewol,” he finally said in a shaky voice.

“I felt that I should have the Sewol family members at the Blue House once the recovery of all the missing passengers was complete. It is taking longer than expected, so we decided to have you here while the search is still under way,” he explained.

“I will do my best until the last person is found,” he pledged.

During the meeting, Moon promised to support the establishment of a second Special Sewol Commission for a thorough investigation. Establishing the second commission will require passage of another special law by the National Assembly.

“The government was incompetent and irresponsible in its response. It divided the public and left the family members with an even deeper scar,” Moon said. “We even saw the sad spectacle of it avoiding and blocking the investigation that was its proper duty.”

“I know it is late, but on behalf of the government I wish to offer a humble apology and words of consolation,” he said.

“It took far too long for you to be here today. Even though it is late, I hope that this meeting will be a source of comfort and hope to all of you,” he continued.

While the mood among the yellow-clad attendees in the reception hall was generally positive, some could not hide their tears. Many strained to keep their composure while Moon was speaking. One mother whose child perished in the sinking burst into tears as she passed a framed photograph of the victim to the President. Family representative Jeon Myeong-seon demanded the Moon administration “create a real and powerful legal investigative body that is not subject to any outside influences so that we do not see another example of the obstruction and cover-ups illegally and unjustly perpetrated by the Park Geun-hye administration.”

“We want you to rebuild a second Special Sewon Investigation Commission,” Jeon said.

In response, Moon said, “I trust that the special law [for the commission’s establishment] will pass the National Assembly, and [Blue House] will do its part.”

Family members also demanding that no deadline be set for the search of the Sewol’s hull, that the hull be preserved and used as a safety education center, and that efforts be made to restore the reputations of the victims and build a memorial park in Ansan.

On their way in from Ansan that day, family members of the Sewol tragedy victims were transported in vehicles provided by the Blue House under the guidance of Presidential Security Service staff.

“The vehicles carrying the family members passed by the places where they have shed the most tears over the past three years: the National Assembly, Gwanghwamun Square, and the Cheongun neighborhood office,” said Blue House spokesperson Park Soo-hyun in a briefing.

“They entered the Blue House through the main gate rather than the entrance used by ordinary visitors,” he added.

By Jung Yu-gyung, staff reporter

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