By Jane Han
NEW YORK ― As the grieving father of a teenage Sewol victim continues his now life-threatening hunger strike, having passed the 40-day mark, hundreds of Koreans living overseas have joined him.
Korean men and women living everywhere from London and Sydney to Los Angeles and New York City are taking part in a "relay fasting campaign" to support the families' struggle for an independent investigation to determine what caused the ferry disaster that took more than 300 lives in April. In doing so, the protesters hope to break the political deadlock over a special law authorizing the investigation.
Kim Young-oh, who lost his 16-year-old daughter in the tragedy, began his hunger strike July 14 along with 14 other bereaved family members. Their goal was to press the government and the legislature to pass a law to form and give full investigative rights to an independent fact-finding committee.
But more than a month later, Kim is the only one to persist in refusing food. Politicians, meanwhile, are still at odds over details of a law that could potentially hurt the Park Geun-hye administration.
Kim was rushed to the hospital Friday morning after his health rapidly deteriorated.
"We intend to share the pain of hunger for however long it takes to reveal the truth behind the Sewol tragedy,'' wrote the organizer of Fast4Sewol, the online group that began the relay fasting campaign, on its Facebook page.
The page shows participants holding up yellow signs indicating what cities they are from, and why they are refusing to eat.
"I'm in this to demand a special Sewol law that guarantees the right to investigate and the authority to indict those responsible for the disaster," wrote Kara, a California resident, on her yellow sign. "Let's hope we can make a better Korea where we will never have to lose another innocent life through such a tragic incident."
Kim Mi-kyung, a Toronto resident, displayed this message on her handheld poster:
"Fasting for the fourth day to urge that the special investigation committee be given complete rights to investigate and indict."
Koreans living abroad have been active and vocal in their efforts to uncover the truth behind the Sewol accident. Koreans in the United States have drawn particularly close attention with ads in The New York Times and the Washington Post, in which they criticize the Park Geun-hye government for mishandling the ferry crisis.
The same people who placed the newspaper ads are expected to launch an outdoor campaign in Seoul to help support Kim Young-oh as he continues his fight.
NEW YORK ― As the grieving father of a teenage Sewol victim continues his now life-threatening hunger strike, having passed the 40-day mark, hundreds of Koreans living overseas have joined him.
Korean men and women living everywhere from London and Sydney to Los Angeles and New York City are taking part in a "relay fasting campaign" to support the families' struggle for an independent investigation to determine what caused the ferry disaster that took more than 300 lives in April. In doing so, the protesters hope to break the political deadlock over a special law authorizing the investigation.
Kim Young-oh, who lost his 16-year-old daughter in the tragedy, began his hunger strike July 14 along with 14 other bereaved family members. Their goal was to press the government and the legislature to pass a law to form and give full investigative rights to an independent fact-finding committee.
But more than a month later, Kim is the only one to persist in refusing food. Politicians, meanwhile, are still at odds over details of a law that could potentially hurt the Park Geun-hye administration.
Kim was rushed to the hospital Friday morning after his health rapidly deteriorated.
"We intend to share the pain of hunger for however long it takes to reveal the truth behind the Sewol tragedy,'' wrote the organizer of Fast4Sewol, the online group that began the relay fasting campaign, on its Facebook page.
The page shows participants holding up yellow signs indicating what cities they are from, and why they are refusing to eat.
"I'm in this to demand a special Sewol law that guarantees the right to investigate and the authority to indict those responsible for the disaster," wrote Kara, a California resident, on her yellow sign. "Let's hope we can make a better Korea where we will never have to lose another innocent life through such a tragic incident."
Kim Mi-kyung, a Toronto resident, displayed this message on her handheld poster:
"Fasting for the fourth day to urge that the special investigation committee be given complete rights to investigate and indict."
Koreans living abroad have been active and vocal in their efforts to uncover the truth behind the Sewol accident. Koreans in the United States have drawn particularly close attention with ads in The New York Times and the Washington Post, in which they criticize the Park Geun-hye government for mishandling the ferry crisis.
The same people who placed the newspaper ads are expected to launch an outdoor campaign in Seoul to help support Kim Young-oh as he continues his fight.
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