‘The truth must not be buried’: Bereaved families of Sewol ferry disaster return to square after martial law declaration

Kim Jong-ki, steering committee chairman of the April 16 Sewol Families for Truth and A Safer Society, poses for a picture during an interview with the Kyunghyang Shinmun at the Sewol Ferry Memorial Space in Seoul on April 15, the day before the 11th anniversary of the Sewol ferry disaster. Reporter Seo Sung-il

After former President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law on December 3 last year, weekly rallies calling for Yoon’s impeachment were held every Saturday in Seoul for four months, until the Constitutional Court officially removed him from office. In a yellow tent at one side of the square where the rallies were held, there were always 1,500 rice balls in thermo containers waiting for the citizens. These rice balls were handmade by Sewol ferry disaster victims’ families and volunteers, prepared for the people who came out to the square. “It's delicious,” “Thank you,” the citizens who received the rice balls smiled and expressed their gratitude. As the weekly rallies continued, the fillings inside the rice balls gradually became more diverse. Each hearty meal carried the heartfelt wish that the citizens would not grow weary.

On April 15, we met with Kim Jong-ki, steering committee chairman of the April 16 Sewol Families for Truth and A Safer Society. He is the father of the late Kim Soo-jin, a victim of the ferry disaster. Kim said, “The rice ball sharing always began with a countdown at exactly 4:16 p.m.,” and added, “While the number 416 is one of sorrow and pain, we put our hope into it becoming a number that symbolizes life and safety.” From December 7 to April 5, Kim stood in the square where the impeachment rallies were held every Saturday, missing only one day when he traveled to Paengmok Port. Over the course of those months, the bereaved families of the ferry disaster distributed nearly 20,000 rice balls to the citizens in the square.

Kim said he trembled all over when he first heard the news about the declaration of martial law on December 3 last year. It brought back memories of the fear he had felt during his first experience with martial law as a middle school student. He was also gripped by the fear that the bereaved families of the Sewol ferry disaster, who had long voiced criticism of the Yoon administration, could be under threat.

What transformed that fear into hope were the young people, who are those around Soo-jin’s age. Every time Kim saw youths running to the National Assembly or showing up at Gwanghwamun Square with glow sticks in hand, he felt a mix of gratitude and sorrow. “I wanted to leave behind a world for these young people where power that disregards life and safety is properly held accountable,” he said. “As an adult, I felt sorry that they had to come out to the square because of the martial law declaration.” He added, “Just like the mothers during the May 18 Democratic Uprising fed rice balls to students in the square, I wanted to feed today’s youth with those same rice balls to support them and keep them strong.”

For Kim, the square was also a space where he could feel that the past 11 years of struggle had not been in vain. The young people who came to the square had yellow ribbons attached to their backpacks. Some even came up to him to say, “Thank you for being here.” “I realized that many citizens still haven’t forgotten about the Sewol ferry,” Kim said. “It made me think, ‘I must not give up.’” He added, ”It was encouraging to see people working together for a safe society.”

The world Kim hopes to see after the impeachment is one where “the wrongdoings of those in power are made completely transparent.” Information about former President Park Geun-hye’s whereabouts during the crucial seven hours on the day of the Sewol ferry disaster was designated as presidentially designated records in 2017 and has not been made public. There are now similar concerns that documents related to the martial law declaration may also be designated as presidentially designated records. “We must ensure that the truths behind both the Sewol ferry tragedy and the martial law declaration do not remain buried,” Kim said.

“I hope we can make a society for safety and life,” he added. “The imposition of martial law showed how easily our society's values of democracy, life and safety can be destroyed. The bereaved families of the Sewol ferry disaster have come this far thanks to the citizens who came out to the square. We will fight to the end to create a safe society.”

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.