hankyoreh

Yu Su-hyeon, a second-year student at Kyung-an High School in Ansan walks under a banner at the gate of her school commemorating the victims of the Sewol ferry tragedy of 2014. (Lee Jun-hee/The Hankyoreh)

If you’ve been in Korea, you’ve likely seen yellow ribbons on people’s bags and phones and recognized them as a symbol of the tragic sinking of the Sewol ferry. At first, the small yellow bows were a symbol of Koreans’ prayers that the victims would be rescued and make safe returns home. As time went on, the yellow ribbons came to symbolize a desire to uncover the truth behind the tragedy, as well as the determination to not forget what happened. 

Now, 10 years after the tragedy, some continue to carry these little yellow ribbons wherever they go. The Hankyoreh met with students from Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, where many of those who lost their lives on the ferry called home, who continue to carry yellow ribbons for Sewol, to ask what the ribbon means to them. 

Never again

The meaning of the yellow ribbon was clear to these teenagers: Such a tragedy should never happen again. Yu Ji-min, 15, of Danwon Middle School, said she received a ribbon from a friend in May of last year. She pinned it to her school bag. 

Yu Ji-min, a middle schooler in Ansan, wears a yellow ribbon on her book bag. (Lee Jun-hee/The Hankyoreh)

“When I was in elementary school, I saw the farewell messages left by my seniors on YouTube. They told their parents that they loved them. Some of them had fought with their parents before boarding the Sewol, and for that they were sorry. It was the saddest thing I’ve ever seen,” she said.

Kim Ye-jun, 15, who said she carried the yellow ribbon without her throughout her entire time at Joongang Middle School, said, “I wore the ribbon to express my hope that something like that never happens again.”

These students believed in the power of memory. Yu Su-hyeon, 17, a second-year student at Kyungan High School, said she’s worn a yellow ribbon since her elementary school days. She is now the same age as the students who perished when the Sewol went under in 2014.  

“When I wear the ribbon, I remind others of what happened. The more people remember, the less likely it is to happen again. That’s what I believe, so that’s why I wear the ribbon,” she said.

Grieving, healing and resolution

Among the students wearing ribbons were elementary school students with no memory of the tragedy. 

“Last year, my friends and I wanted to write letters to the victims. So we went to the memorial, where they gave us ribbons. I put mine on in the hope that people will remember what happened,” said Kim Sa-rang 12, a sixth-grader at Kojan Elementary School we met in front of Danwon High School. 

Kim Sa-rang, an elementary school student in Ansan, wears a yellow ribbon pin on her backpack. (Lee Jun-hee/The Hankyoreh)

Some also wore the ribbons as an act of healing. 

“When I saw the Sewol sinking on the news, it traumatized me,” said Jang Yeon-hak, 17, a junior at Ansan Design Culture High School, who was born and raised in the city. “For a while, I would shudder every time I saw a boat, but wearing the ribbon and commemorating it has helped me overcome that fear.” 

Jang said the ribbon has helped her make promises about the type of person she wants to be.  

“I decided that I want to be a music teacher when I grow up, and each time I look at my ribbon, I’m reminded that I’ll need to pay more attention to safety if I ever escort students on a school trip once I’m a teacher,” she said. 

Continuing to remember

When we asked Lee Yun-ji, 17, a junior at Danwon High School whether she ever wished she could forget a tragedy so painful, or escape the association of Sewol with her school, she shook her head. 

“I’m actually the one who brings Sewol up first,” she said. “Because I want people to keep remembering, and my hope is that no one forgets.”

Lee Yun-ji (left) and her friend Lee Tae-hee, two second-year students at Danwon High School in Ansan. (Lee Jun-hee/The Hankyoreh)

Lee Yun-ji, a student at Danwon High School in Ansan, wears a yellow ribbon in memory of the Sewol tragedy on her backpack. (Lee Jun-hee/The Hankyoreh)

The teenagers balked at the idea that after 10 years, it was “time to let it go.” For them, it was only natural to commemorate those who were lost in the tragedy and pray that such a disaster is never repeated. 

“Some adults tell us that it’s time to let it go. But the more they do, the more we’ll cling to the memory,” said Lee, her voice forceful. 

“Not just because we feel sorry for what happened to the young people who came before us, but because that’s the only way to prevent something like that from happening again.”

By Lee Jun-hee, staff reporter

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