Sewol Ferry Tragedy 12th Anniversary: Remembering the Pain and Healing Trauma

Civic groups and families of victims held memorial events in Seoul and other regions on April 11, 2026, to mark the 12th anniversary of the Sewol ferry disaster. The gatherings focused on demands for state accountability, the disclosure of records, and the establishment of systemic safety reforms to prevent future tragedies.

In downtown Seoul, the 4.16 Solidarity and other civic groups organized the 12th Anniversary Sewol Ferry Disaster Remembrance and Promise Citizens’ Rally. The event took place on Sejong-daero in front of Sungnyemun Gate in Jung-gu. According to unofficial police estimates, approximately 500 people attended the rally, where participants wore yellow ribbons and carried yellow butterfly-shaped paper to commemorate the victims.

Demands for State Responsibility

Participants at the Seoul rally displayed placards calling for Full Truth, Full Responsibility for the Sewol Ferry Disaster and urging the creation of a society that respects life and safety. The groups listed several specific demands directed at the state, including:

View this post on Instagram about Sewol, Ferry

• An official apology and acknowledgment of state responsibility.
• The full public disclosure of all previously undisclosed records.
• The enactment of the Basic Act on Life and Safety.
• A complete overhaul of the national disaster response system.

Kim Soon-gil, the Secretary General of the 4.16 Sewol Ferry Disaster Families’ Association and mother of victim Jin Yun-hee, linked the Sewol tragedy to more recent disasters. She cited the loss of life in the Itaewon alleyways and the Muan Airport Jeju Air passenger plane disaster as evidence of the state’s continued failure to protect its citizens.

This is why we are calling for the enactment of the Basic Act on Life and Safety. It would serve as the minimum safeguard to ensure that those who have lost loved ones in disasters can grieve freely and have their right to know the truth about why such tragedies occurred protected.

Kim Soon-gil, Secretary General of the 4.16 Sewol Ferry Disaster Families’ Association

Regional Memorials and Institutional Changes

Memorial activities extended beyond the capital. In Gwangju, mourners paid their respects at a civic memorial altar located at the May 18 Democratic Plaza in Dong-gu. A month-long series of memorial events was organized in Mokpo, Jeollanam-do, to observe the anniversary.

Reporting indicates that the Paengmok Memory Hall is being transitioned into a formal memorial hall. This development comes as survivors continue to struggle with collective trauma 12 years after the event.

The events were not without tension, as some conservative groups disrupted the proceedings by calling for a special counsel regarding the Muan Airport disaster.