Are Memories and a Memorial Something Illegal That Must Be Removed?

On April 16, the ninth anniversary of the sinking of the Sewol, a sign that read “Memories Cannot Be Demolished” was placed in the Sewol memorial, Memories and Light (pictured), located in front of the Seoul Metropolitan Council in Jung-gu, Seoul. The sign showed a future that could not guarantee this space of remembrance, temporarily set up in this location. The Seoul Metropolitan Council deemed this facility had illegally occupied the space and has been sending a bill demanding compensation every month since last July.

According to the coverage by the Kyunghyang Shinmun, the Council Secretariat has charged the families of the Sewol victims nearly 3.3 million won every month as compensation since last July. Until last month, the total amounted to 30 million won. The bereaved families and the Solidarity for the Sewol Ferry Tragedy are refusing to pay the charges, claiming there are no grounds for such compensation.

The Sewol memorial was first set up in Gwanghwamun Square in April 2019. Then when the city renovated the square, the memorial was temporarily relocated to its present site, in front of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, in November 2021. At the time, the tenth Seoul Metropolitan Council exempted the fees for using the space. However, after the eleventh council began serving last July with the People Power Party in the majority, the situation changed completely.

Last July, the Seoul Metropolitan Council notified the memorial that it would cut power supply. In fact, it has been cutting power supply from 6 p.m. to 9 a.m. the following day every day since December. After 6 p.m. the memorial uses electricity charged from solar panels. Yi Su-min, an activist of the Solidarity for the Sewol Ferry Tragedy who was watching the site said, “The people looking after the memorial face challenges because we can’t provide heating during the cold winter.”

The city reopened Gwanghwamun Square last August, but there was no space for a memorial there either.

The situation that the Sewol memorial faces is similar to that of the Itaewon memorial in Seoul Plaza. The victims’ families argue that a symbolic memorial is necessary to properly remember the social disasters and to ensure that such accidents don’t happen again. But the two memorials are both classified as illegal facilities currently and face the risk of being torn down by force. Negotiations to create a memorial space have also made no progress.

The Sewol solidarity and the Seoul Metropolitan Council last met on January 16. Kim Seon-wu, secretary-general of the Solidarity for the Sewol Ferry Tragedy said, “We can move on to a safe society when a memorial space to properly remember the tragedy can exist.”

Discussions on the incense altar for the Itaewon victims were also suspended after the city sent a notice stating, “We will no longer request dialogue first,” last week. Lee Jong-chul, head of the group representing the families of the Itaewon victims said, “I never attended the memorial service for the Sewol victims before the Itaewon tragedy because I was too busy making a living, but now I see the situation in a different light.” He explained, “It is sad and tough to remember the children who passed before us, but we are miserable because the government does not seem to acknowledge us (disaster victims).”

The Solidarity for the Sewol Ferry Tragedy will continue engaging in a one-man demonstration in front of the memorial until the Seoul Metropolitan Council cancels its refusal to extend the use of the site.