Classroom honor for Sewol victims

Lee Ji-hye

Danwon high school classrooms that victims of the Sewol ferry disaster used will be preserved until the end of the school year.

Gyeonggi Province superintendent of education Lee Jae-jung explained on CBS Radio Wednesday the plans the local office had to honor the disaster's victims.

"The students were in their second years in high school, and they would have been seniors this month, along with the other survivors in the same year," Lee said.

"We plan to give the deceased an honor graduation when the survivors graduate, meaning we plan to keep the classrooms the way they are now until their expected date of graduation."

Lee said counseling would be provided to survivors.

The education office also will launch an academic funding program, "The April 16 Danwon Scholarship Foundation," on April 14 for those in need.

"We lost 250 students and 11 teachers, and in memory of them, we plan to set up a private foundation funded by teachers from Gyeonggi Province and other students to provide help to those who need it," Lee said.