By Lee Kyung-min
Tens of thousands of people are expected to gather at Gwanghwamun Square today to commemorate the third anniversary of the sinking of the ferry Sewol, rally organizers said Friday.
According to the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), a main organizer of the weekend candlelit rallies held over the past six months, a large number of people are expected to come to the square in downtown Seoul, on the eve of the third year since the ferry sank claiming more than 300 lives on April 16, 2014.
Other rallies thus far have entailed political slogan-chanting marches to Cheong Wa Dae; but today’s gathering will be more of a cultural event, focusing on sharing the memories of the victims aboard the ill-fated ferry.
“We will demand the government thoroughly search the ferry to recover the remains of the nine missing victims and determine the cause of the ferry sinking,” an official from the KCTU said. “We also demand that those responsible for the disaster be held accountable.”
The participants will gather at 5:30 p.m. Other than the issues about the ferry, the participants will call for a thorough investigation into business groups implicated in the influence-peddling scandal that removed former President Park Geun-hye from office.
They will also urge the presidential candidates to refrain from resorting to smear campaigns and to roll out measures that reflect both public outrage against corruption and hopes for a new and better politics for change.
“Some people might think discussion on political issues is tangential to the commemoration event, but we believe it is necessary to remind the presidential candidates of what they are aspiring to become _ elected representatives of the people, not a few powerful groups of people with privileges,” the official said.
Cultural events will begin at 6:30 p.m. and continue until 9 p.m. Survivors of the ferry sinking and bereaved families of the victims will take the stage to share their memories of their loved ones.
Renowned poet Shin Kyeong-nim will recite his work, and singer Lee Seung-hwan will perform.
Similar events will be held simultaneously in 91 regions nationwide as well as 40 cities in 11 countries, the group added.
Religious groups and university students will hold separate rallies in different locations. The Korea Teachers & Education Workers’ Union, a group comprised of liberal educators nationwide will hold a march from the National Assembly on Yeouido to Gwanghwamun Square.
A group of university students will gather near Marronnier Park, Daehangno, central Seoul, and Won Buddhism believers will hold a prayer session at 4:16 p.m. at Gwanghwamun Square.
On Sunday, a commemoration of the Sewol sinking will be held at 3 p.m. at a memorial altar set up by the government near Hwarang amusement park in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, home to Danwon High School, which most of the victims attended.
The National Council of Churches in Korea, a protestant group, will hold an Easter mass there.
Meanwhile, recovery crews are sifting through mud collected from inside the ferry, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.
The mud recovered was put in 2,600 bags, each one weighing about 200 kilograms. About 26 days will be needed to sort through the contents, the ministry said.
The environment ministry will decide whether to dispose of the mud through hazardous material treatment or by dumping it back into the ocean after it is inspected.
Human bones that are discovered will be cleaned and undergo treatment to remove salt. They will be hardened using a chemical agent to protect them from shattering.
The treated bones will be sent to the National Forensic Service for DNA analysis.
Two officials from the Ministry of Defense will be dispatched to help oversee the operation.