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| A woman, presumed to be the mother of a victim of the Sewol ferry disaster, sits in a chair at a classroom that keeps the students' belongings at Danwon High School in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday. The school held a graduation ceremony for 86 students, including 75 survivors from the disaster. / Yonhap |
By Chung Ah-young
Graduations always draw mixed reactions from students ― tears and cheers. But 86 students, including 75 survivors from the Sewol ferry sinking in 2014, seemed to have a more solemn and tearful moment rather than a celebration at their graduation ceremony at Danwon High School in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday.
Among 325 second-graders who were onboard the Sewol for a school trip to the southern resort island of Jeju, 246 died in the ferry sinking on April 16, 2014. The disaster left a total of 304 people dead, including nine whose bodies have not been recovered.
After losing nearly three-quarters of their peers, the graduates took part in the ceremony which was held calmly, only allowing teachers, students and their families and relatives who were registered to the school in advance to attend.
The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education and Danwon originally planned to hold an honorary graduation ceremony to commemorate the students who lost their lives in the disaster.
But it was cancelled as the bereaved families said they would refuse to attend until the educational authorities and the school took legal responsibility and show sincere regret.
Instead of the graduation ceremony, the families held a memorial service for the victims at a joint altar in Ansan and marched to the classrooms where the students used to learn, holding chrysanthemums.
Yoo Kyung-geun, father of a victim, Ye-eun, and spokesman of the victims, posted a message on his social network service (SNS) on Monday to offer congratulations to his late daughter's friends who are alive.
"Your graduation is not a sad graduation," Yoo said. "I don't know how to start the story … I took it for granted to attend my child's graduation ceremony. But now I give this congratulatory message to my daughter's friends on their graduation," he said.
"I so much envy your graduation ceremony."
Yoo said he and other parents are proud of the students who have endured the painful moments for 637 days since the disaster happened.
He stressed that the bereaved families will clearly remember how people reacted to the survivors. "You shouldn't feel any guilt for escaping from the sinking ship on your own in the disaster which we adults are responsible for," he said.
Yoo told the students to have courage when they face difficulties from others who may react badly to their traumatic experience.
"Please live confidently anywhere and anytime. You deserve it. I will support you and your ways as if I would hope the same for my child," he said.
"What we want from you is only one thing: don't be foolish adults like us. Don't be adults who realize what's wrong only after losing children."
Yoo added the comment that he wanted to deliver the message during the ceremony on behalf of the victims' families, but posted it online instead because the school refused it, citing that the survivors' parents didn't want it.
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