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'Never again' vows Lee at memorial 12 years after Sewol ferry sinking

Published: 16 Apr. 2026, 18:49 Updated: 16 Apr. 2026, 18:58

President Lee Jae Myung speaks at a memorial for the 2014 Sewol ferry sinking in Ansan, Gyeonggi, on April 16. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday vowed to “protect lives and safety as a fundamental principle of the nation” during a memorial event on the 12th anniversary of the Sewol ferry sinking.

"I promise to never repeat the failures of that day and never forget the grave lessons it left behind, and I pledge to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again,” Lee said during his address at the remembrance event held at Hwarang Amusement Park in Ansan, Gyeonggi. "I, once again, express my condolences. I will remember and never forget [the disaster]."

The Sewol ferry sank in waters off the southwestern coast of Korea on April 16, 2014, with 476 passengers on board, leaving 299 people dead and five missing. The vessel was carrying 339 high school students from the Ansan region who were on their way to a field trip to Jeju Island.

Thursday marked exactly 12 years since the tragedy.

Lee, the first incumbent president to attend the service, arrived with first lady Kim Hea Kyung, both wearing yellow ribbons, a symbol of remembrance in the wake of the disaster.

Three former presidents — Park Geun-hye, Moon Jae-in and Yoon Suk Yeol — did not attend the ceremony. Moon attended while chief of the liberal Democratic Party (DP) and as a presidential hopeful, but was absent during his presidential term.

President Lee Jae Myung, center, and first lady Kim Hea Kyung, right attend a memorial event for the 2014 Sewol ferry sinking in Ansan, Gyeonggi, on April 16. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

“The president’s attendance conveys his message about restoring the public's trust and bolstering state responsibility for disasters,” said presidential spokesperson Jeon Eun-su said in a written statement.

“Every year around this time, I face emotions that are too heavy to put into words,” Lee said. “I express my deep respect to the bereaved families, who have devoted themselves to building a safer society by painstakingly making records of the accident despite grieving solemnly.”

The president added that he would not tolerate even the slightest lapse in public safety.

“I will build a country that protects its people under any circumstances — a state the people can fully trust and rely on," Lee said. “Once again, I express my deepest condolences. I will remember. I will not forget.”

Relatives of victims of the 2014 Sewol ferry sinking shed tears during a memorial event held in Gyeonggi on April 16. [YONHAP]

Thursday’s ceremony, with a name that translates roughly to “A safe nation, beyond promises to responsibility,” began with a moment of silence for the victims, followed by a screening of a commemorative video and a choir performance.

National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik and DP leader Jung Chung-rae were also present at the event. Members of the leadership of the conservative People Power Party (PPP) were absent.

"There was no invitation this year as in previous years, so we inquired with the 4.16 Foundation and were told that advance registration had already closed,” a PPP official told the JoongAng Ilbo, referring to the organization representing the victims' families.

However, the foundation said it "had sent official invitations a month before the event and had contacted the offices of the PPP’s party leader and floor leader."

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY OH HYUN-SEOK [[email protected]]