A survivor of the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster has reportedly died, renewing calls to recognize such long-term trauma and the damage that even well-intentioned encouragement can do.
A yellow ribbon and flags hang at Paengmok harbor in Jindo County, South Jeolla, on April 14, 2025, in remembrance of the victims of the Sewol ferry tragedy.YONHAP
One of the survivors of the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster — who had been a high school student at the time — has reportedly died, renewing calls to recognize the lasting trauma experienced by survivors.
Yoo Gyoung-geun, the former executive committee chair of the 4/16 Sewol Families for Truth and A Safer Society, shared the news on his Instagram on Sunday.
"The [former] student […] has gone to join [their friends] at Ansan Sky Memorial Park," he wrote.
He also noted the recent anniversary of the death of a civilian diver, Kim Kwan-hong.
"I hope that people don't forget not only the victims and their bereaved families but also the [survivors] and civilian divers who died in the aftermath," Yoo wrote.
He then urged people to stop telling survivors that they should "live for their friends who had died."
A photo of a funeral wreath sent by the 4/16 Sewol Families for Truth and A Safer Society, uploaded by Yoo Gyoung-geun, the former executive committee chair of the organization, to Instagram to announce the death of a Sewol ferry disaster survivorSCREEN CAPTURE
"I know that people say this because they […] want to encourage the survivors to carry on, but these are words that should never be said," he wrote.
"The surviving students watched their friends die before barely making it out alive themselves. Many have faced criticism simply for surviving, and that guilt has made it difficult for them to pursue their dreams and even get through everyday life. For most of them, their lives have been turned upside down [since that day]."
Yoo added that he remains concerned for the survivors.
"I just hope that the [survivors] can live ordinary lives without physical or emotional pain and, above all, without guilt. When I think about [those] who may still be suffering in silence after losing another friend, I feel deeply sorry."
The Sewol ferry sank off the coast of Jindo County, South Jeolla, on April 16, 2014, while traveling from Incheon to Jeju. Of the 476 people on board, 304, most of whom were high school students on a field trip, died or remain missing.
