Trips back home

A light from a boat is seen near Paengmok Port in Jindo Island, South Jeolla Province, April 18. / Korea Times photos by Shim Hyun-chul

By Yoon Sung-won

JINDO ― A lone beam of light appeared on the pitch-dark night horizon off Paengmok Port.

The beam eventually grew into the shape of a Coast Guard vessel.

On board were the remains of passengers recovered from the sunken ferry Sewol.

The boat came close to the pier, prompting a dozen workers to scramble to moor it.

Methodically, the remains covered with white sheets were moved into a tent.

They came ashore finally, eight days after their scheduled arrival time on Jeju Island.

Parents cried out their children’s names and others gazed at the sea.

Religious figures came and prayed for the return of the missing.

As indescribable grief and frustration replaced hope, the scene has been repeated often and will continue to be for days to come.

Here, time is marked by the shrinking number of makeshift beds at shelters for families, where many have left with the bodies of their loved ones.

People may gradually return to their normal lives.

But no one can tell how much more time and effort will be needed for those who were directly affected by the disaster.

Waves rise on the water where the ferry Sewol sank, Sunday.

Family members and relatives of the missing passengers cry out their names at Paengmok Port, late Monday.

Several Coast Guard officers and rescue workers wait for patrol boats carrying the bodies of missing passengers at a dock in Paengmok Port, late Monday.

A couple looks at Buddhist monks praying for the safe return of the missing Sewol passengers at Paengmok Port, Wednesday

Family members and relatives of missing passengers wait in a tent raised at Paengmok Port, Wednesday. The message written on the whiteboard in front of the tent reads, “Son, daddy is waiting for you.”