The sinking of the MV Sewol (세월호 침몰 사고) occurred on April 16th 2014 en route to Jeju from Incheon. At this point 278 people have died and 29 people are missing from this tragedy. One of the reasons why this situation is so heartbreaking is because majority of those on the ferry were high school students from Danwon High School, from Asan.

All over Korea, people are tying yellow ribbons with messages at public, temporary memorials for victims. Candlelight vigils and public demonstrations to impeach President Park Geun-hye are a regular occurrence these days. Events (e.g. festivals, music concerts, and individual school celebrations such as Sports’ Day) are still being canceled out of respect for the victims, which is both touching and annoying.

When the news first came out, many of my friends and family back home were worried that I was on the ferry. It logically makes very little sense that I would be on that ferry, but I understand that when you hear big news about a tragedy that occurs in the country or area that your friend or family member lives in, it doesn’t hurt to ask for peace of mind.

Nowadays, people ask what I think about the whole thing. First of all, I have no special knowledge as an expat in South Korea. I may be physically closer to the scenario, but we all have access to the same information. I think some expats have the malformed belief that they are “experts” on all things concerning Korea. I don’t. Second, it is extremely difficult for me to find the appropriate words to share my feelings. I feel different day by day, and most days I don’t really know how to articulate how I feel.

I do think that South Korea needs to move beyond the bungled rescue efforts and put a feasible plan into place that can be executed for future disasters.

I think this also shows, more than ever, that South Korea needs freedom of speech and press. Korean mainstream broadcasting companies (KBS 1&2, MBC, and EBS) are state-owned. The Korea Communications Commission (KCC), which oversees the contents released by all media companies, is run by chairmen who are often members of the Grand National Party (which are appointed by the president). It’s well-known in South Korea’s history that the President and government have a right to exercise their power over the press and use the media as a personal loudspeaker. This has led to all sorts of questioning over the legitimacy of the information being reported about rescue efforts. I think along with feelings of sadness, I felt a lot of confusion about what was really happening and what was true. I question everything the news reports.

Right now, I want the missing to be found so that their families and Korea can find some level of peace and move forward.