In mourning

A mourner, right, cries while he ties a yellow ribbon on a tree near a memorial altar in front of Seoul City Hall, Tuesday. The yellow ribbons contain mourners’ messages of condolence for those who died in the sinking of the ferry Sewol on April 16. / Korea Times photos by Shim Hyun-chul

By Yoon Sung-won

Mourners were queuing up to pay their respects at a memorial altar in front of Seoul City Hall for those who died in the sinking of the ferry Sewol.

The Sewol sank off the southwestern coast, with 476, most of them students, onboard.

As of Tuesday afternoon, 205 were confirmed dead with 97 missing.

Praying for the victims, many mourners were apologetic for the failure to protect their young lives.

Lee Dong-su, a college student who visited the altar with his friends, said, “If only the government had done the right thing in the initial stages.”

Mourners, in three rows at a time, laid chrysanthemums on the altar and offered a collective prayer in silence. Some wore a black ribbon on the left side of their chest.

Afterward they wrote messages of condolence, hope or apology on yellow ribbons and tied them to a wall or nearby trees.

Some burst into tears, murmuring, “Sorry.”

Harry Moran, an Australian who visited the altar, believes Korea should concentrate on establishing what caused the disaster. “A thorough investigation of its cause will be really important for safety, and to prevent a similar incident in the future,” he said.

Paulina Murphy, his wife, said society should care more about people who were affected by the disaster as well as the victims. “The whole world including myself feels sorry for their loss,” she added.

Messages from mourners on yellow ribbons are tied to trees near the memorial altar. The one in the center reads, “Sorry.”

Australian Harry Moran, right, and his wife Paulina Murphy tie yellow ribbons on a tree near the memorial altar.

A boy lays a chrysanthemum on the memorial altar, bowing his head alongside adults around him.

Mourners pay their respects to the ferry tragedy’s victims at a memorial altar in front of Seoul City Hall, Tuesday.

Mourners wipe away tears as they leave the memorial altar after paying their respects to the victims. The message written on a wall behind them reads, “Sorry, and we will not forget.”