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Hepburn's son to plant Sewol memorial trees
Sean H. Ferrer, a son of late British actress Audrey Hepburn, speaks about a plan to plant trees in memory of the victims of the Sewol ferry tragedy during a press conference in central Seoul, Thursday. / Yonhap
By Kim Se-jeong
By Kim Se-jeong
The son of late British actress Audrey Hepburn, Sean H. Ferrer, said Thursday he will plant a memorial forest on Jindo, an island in South Jeolla Province, for the victims of the Sewol ferry tragedy which occurred one year ago this month.
“Instead of sending flowers to families, we wished to create something beautiful and natural,” Ferrer said during a press conference held in Seoul. “We want to create a platform that will bring some feelings of hope and comfort and that will create a place in which everyone can work toward the future.”
He flew in to Korea with his wife, Karin, and his five children to announce the project.
The Sewol Memorial Forest will be located on the hill of the island near Paengmok Port, overlooking the site of the incident. The local government donated the land for the project.
Tree Planet, a local venture, is Ferrer’s partner. The initial goal is to plant 300 ginko trees before April next year. He donated almost $70,000, and additional funds for the tree plantation will be raised through www.sewolforest.org. He said he is also hoping to erect a structure in the forest using metal reclaimed from the ferry if it is salvaged.
The Sewol capsized and sank in waters off the southwestern coast on April 16 last year. The ferry was on its way to Jeju Island, carrying 476 passengers. Among 295 confirmed killed, the majority were Danwon High School students in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province. Nine are still unaccounted for.
Ferrer was born in 1960 to Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer. After his mother passed away in 1993, he and his half-brother Luca Dotti founded the Audrey Hepburn Children’s Fund. He is the chairman of the Audrey Hepburn Society at UNICEF.
The chairman said a one-year experience in Korea in 1978 motivated him to initiate the project. He shot the film “Oh Incheon,” which depicted the Battle of Incheon during the Korean War (1950-53).
Three family members of the Sewol victims, who attended the conference, gave personal thanks to Ferrer and his family.
“We appreciate Ferrer’s initiative. This will be a resting place for us who are on a long journey,” said Chung Seong-wook who lost his son in the incident.
Ferrer refused to make comments on politics surrounding the incident, but said, “When there is a life at risk, why aren’t children considered first? Why is it important not to lose face? Why is it important to hide the problem? What these families want is clarity and ways to change so that people are prioritized.” Ferrer said he will visit the island today to plant the first two dozen trees.