It's officially been a year since the Sewol Ferry tragedy. I remember when I first heard the news. I was struck by it when my parents sat me down one day to explain what had happened, how 304 people had drowned in just one instant. 

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Prior to the Sewol Ferry, I felt as if I was drowning. I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression at the time and I had a great fear of living my life. Instead of going to school, socializing, or even turning on the computer to write, I would curl up in my bed and close my eyes for days and days. I was scared of seeing my grades, of talking to people and the judgement I thought I could hear in their tones. Most of all, I was scared of my writing, of seeing my own thoughts projected into the world for everyone to scrutinize

The day of the Sewol Ferry incident, however, my mother woke me up and made me realize what it really meant to drown. She said, "What if you had been on that Sewol Ferry?" and for the first time I saw the sagging skin around her eyes, the lines that pulled at her lips. For the first time, I actually thought of someone else dying instead of me; I thought of their parents and the permanent marks they would carry on their aged faces; and I felt the reality of the whole thing wash over me. 



On April 16, the Sewol Ferry sunk while carrying around 476 people en route from Incheon to Jeju Island. Many of the people onboard were Danwon High School students on a class field trip. Despite it being the 21st century, 304 lives were lost due to multiple factors, with some reports stating that the captain and crew told the passengers to remain inside the ship instead of helping them escape.

In this special edition of 'Weekly Recap,' we will be doing a 'Sewol Ferry Recap' to honor the deaths, to understand the impact of the event, as well as to remember that there are questions that still remain unanswered. 

Hong Ga Hye spreads rumors about Sewol Ferry

When the Sewol Ferry incident occurred, the media seemed confused. Many reports were made, however some were inaccurate and only fueled rumors. 

During a time when people were already accusing various authorities for poorly managing the Sewol Ferry situation, a woman named Hong Ga Hye shook the country when she gave a false testimony. MBN News interviewed her as a rescue diver and broadcasted her saying, "[The rescue divers] are not getting the equipment the maritime police promised [them], and the government personnel told [them] just to waste time and go." She went on to the confirm rumors across the internet about the incident. 

Netizens soon were able to figure out that she was only an impostor and had a history lying about her identity. Previously she had lied about being a reporter to get close to B1A4 and also pretended to be T-ara Hwayoung's cousin and further fueled the bullying rumors surrounding the group. 

In the end, Hong Ga Hye was found not guilty of defaming the government and maritime police as she claimed that she never told MBN she was a diver and only gave the interview as a volunteer to report the concerning rumors she heard. 

Park Bom used to cover up Sewol Ferry investigations?

In addition to inaccurate reports, the media was accused of trying to cover up the Sewol Ferry disaster and distract the public with other, irrelevant news.

In June 2014, Park Bom was revealed to have been accused of smuggling drugs into Korea years ago in 2010. Netizens found it strange that Park Bom's scandal would be in the news so late and many speculated that it was actually being used to cover up the Sewol Ferry investigation, which was being broadcasted at the same time. 

Yoo Byung Un's speculated involvement in the Sewol Ferry tragedy

Yoo Byung Un was a millionaire businessman who led the Evangelical Baptist Church in Korea. He was believed to be the de facto owner of the Chonghaejin Marine Company, which owns the Sewol. He and his families were accused by authorities for embezzling nearly $169 million USD from several companies they control, including the Chonghaejin Marine Company as well as Yoo Byung Un's church. Authorities believe that because the family stole millions from the Chonghaejin Marine Company's funds, the company was unable to provide the proper safety measures which could have prevented the Sewol Ferry incident from happening. According to prosecutors, the company had to overload its ships in order to make up for losses caused by the embezzlement. The Sewol Ferry was carrying cargo double the ship's capacity on the day it had sunk, which likely contributed to its capsizing.  

Yoo Byung Un disappeared soon after the arrest warrant was placed, however, and was later found dead. As his body was severely decomposed, the National Forensic Service (NFS) were unable to identify a cause of death. His children and relatives have been arrested on the charge of embezzlement and are waiting to be put on trial. 

Captain sentenced to 36 years in jail

While the blame for the Sewol Ferry incident has been passed around, the one who faced the public's wrath the most was Captain Lee Joon Seok. Lee was criticized for not taking proper action to ensure the safety of his passengers. Rather than directing the crew to help the passengers escape, he was reported to have told passengers to stay inside the ferry and then later escaping himself when help arrived.

In the end, although prosecution demanded capital punishment, Lee was sentenced to 36 years in prison on the charge of gross negligence. The 13 crew members, who admitted to remaining idle instead of evacuating passengers due to lack of orders were given 20 years for abandonment and violating maritime law. The chief engineer of the ferry was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 30 years in jail. 

To recap exactly how the ship sank:

Students' videos and text messages surface

Messages that the Danwon High School students exchanged with their relatives were shown during the captain and crew members' court trials. One of the text messages, shown above, is a conversation between a male student and his older sister. In the messages, the student tells his sister he loves her and apologizes for the things he could not do for her. He asks her to pass the message on to their mom and that he will be joining their father in heaven. 

Two clips filmed by 16-year-old Sewol Ferry victims Park Su Hyun and Kim Dong Hyup also circulated across the internet, showing a glimpse of the students' last moments in the ship. 

Ilbe members make fun of Sewol Ferry victims 

Ilbe is a website that is notorious for its misogynistic users who emphasize freedom of speech and use that right to make controversial statements and trends. Lately, one of these trends include mocking the Sewol Ferry victims.

To read more on Ilbe and Sewol Ferry, check these links:

• Ilbe user sentenced to prison for sexually insulting Sewol Ferry victims
  
• Ilbe members mock Sewol families hunger strike with a food fest
  
• Danwon High School student mocks his Sewol Ferry victim peers
  
• Two Ilbe members charged for the Danwon High School fishcake picture mocking Sewol victims
  

A battle for control: Sewol Ferry families vs. the government 

Sewol Ferry families have gathered throughout the past year to protest the government's treatment of the issue as well as to demand an independent probe into the ferry to establish exactly what happened. The families have held hunger strikes and marches and have also been joined by Sewol Ferry activists.

The government eventually passed a Sewol Special Act, under which an investigation would be conducted by a committee led by the grieving families. However, there is still some friction between the Sewol Ferry activists and the government. Currently, the families are claiming that the government is interfering with the independent probe they were promised. They are also demanding that government raise the Sewol Ferry for further investigation. Families are also protesting the fact that President Park Geun Hye will not be in Korea during the Sewol Ferry anniversary as she will instead be visiting Latin America for a four-nation tour. 

We still remember Sewol Ferry

It has been a year since the Sewol Ferry tragedy and the news regarding the incident is stale. Sewol Ferry no longer dominates the news as it used to and fewer and fewer Korean and international netizens care to comment on it.

But there are still some who strive to remind the public of the incident. Sewol Ferry families and the surviving students do their best to honor the deceased, celebrating chuseok in their memory and thanking those who helped them cope with the tragedy. The hashtag #Remember0416 and #??? trended worldwide across Twitter today as people all over gave their condolences for the sad incident. 

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It is inevitable that people will move on, but I personally hope that some of us can take the time today to just remember the whole event and realize that the investigation and the tragedy is still not over. This incident was devastating for the victims as well as for the whole country of South Korea. It touched many of us who were all the way on the other side of the globe. For me, I was touched because I was reminded how precious my own life is and it breaks my heart every time I think of the students who will never get to see more of what life has to offer.