Value context and insight. lkm@koreatimes.co.kr
Family members of Sewol victims split
The family members of some of the victims of the Sewol ferry tragedy carry their portraits out of a gymnasium where a memorial altar had been set up in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. They decided to move the portraits to Incheon, saying they can no longer “act together” with the relatives of victims who were students and teachers of Danwon High School. / Yonhap
By Lee Kyung-min
By Lee Kyung-min
A group of family members of victims of the Sewol ferry disaster removed the portraits of their loved ones from a memorial altar in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, Monday.
The victims are classified into two groups _ the first are the 246 students and teachers from Danwon High School in Ansan; the second are other victims unrelated to the school.
The family members said they have moved the portraits to a separate altar in Incheon because they can no longer “act together” with relatives of the Danwon students and teachers.
They said they held a meeting on Sunday and reached a unanimous decision to move the portraits from Ansan.
“There is another memorial altar set up in Incheon. We are moving the portraits there,” said Chung Myung-kyo, a member of a committee set up to represent the group, said.
“Some of the family members of the victims from Danwon High School have said negative things about us, and by this decision we think we publicly show that we cannot stay together as one group with them.”
Recently, the relatives of “non-Danwon” victims accepted a compensation plan that was introduced as a second compromise by both the ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD). However, the family members of the students rejected it.
“We heard things like: ‘As they are poor, their only focus was money. That is why the non-Danwon High School victim families are accepting the plan. Their decisions are completely different from the Danwon student families. They are just following the government and ruling party’s offer,’” Chung said on Sep. 2. in a press release.
“Comments such as those drove a wedge between the families of the victims. I’m so disappointed by this. I hope that all this will just end,” Chung added.
Chung said during an interview with Channel A on Sept. 23 that members of his group have been excluded from the current process.
“They are pressing for a plan to build a memorial and start a foundation; but our families have been completely excluded.”
He added that he is concerned that the Sewol tragedy is becoming extremely politicized.
“The sit-ins in Gwanghwamun Square and City Hall are not at all about the Sewol victims. They are also calling for ‘President Park’s resignation,’ ‘No to for-profit hospitals’ and ‘Raising the minimum wage,’ all of which are irrelevant to the victims.”
3 family members face arrest
Meanwhile, police requested arrest warrants Monday for three family members of the victims for allegedly assaulting three people in a brawl on a street in Yeouido, Seoul, earlier this month. They include two former representatives of the group of victims’ families, Kim Byeong-kwon and Kim Hyeong-gi, who also lost their children in the tragedy.
They reportedly hit a driver from a driving escort company and exchanged blows with passersby, who tried to stop them from beating him.
The driver was called by Rep. Kim Hyun of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy, who drank together with the family members.
The driver, who is now receiving treatment, has filed a damages suit against the lawmaker. Rep. Kim is expected to appear before police for questioning, Friday.