12th Anniversary of the Sewol Ferry Tragedy in South Korea: Lee Jae-myung Says the Tragedy Must Not Be Repeated
On the 12th anniversary of the Sewol ferry disaster, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung stressed the eradication of prioritizing cost over safety. The Presidential Archives will soon disclose the index of documents related to the incident.
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- 📰 Published: April 16, 2026 at 12:48
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(Central News Agency reporter Yang Chi-fang, Seoul, 16th) Today marks the 12th anniversary of the Sewol ferry tragedy in South Korea. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung stated that the pain of the disaster must be remembered, and the misconception of prioritizing cost over safety must be completely eradicated; to prevent such a tragedy from recurring, everyone must do their utmost. Furthermore, the Presidential Archives will release the index of documents related to the Sewol ferry as early as early next month.
Yonhap News Agency reported that Lee Jae-myung, while presiding over a senior secretarial meeting at the Blue House today, stated, "As the person responsible for state affairs, I will do my best to ensure that the lives and safety of the people are no longer threatened by money or state negligence." He also expressed, "I would like to offer my condolences to the victims and once again express my deep sympathy for the pain endured by the bereaved families and survivors."
Lee emphasized the need to remember the disaster's pain, gently comfort the victims' trauma, and completely root out the erroneous idea of putting cost above safety and profit above life, firmly establishing a social culture that values life over money. He pointed out, "In order not to let such a tragedy happen again, all of us must do our utmost."
Twelve years have passed since the Sewol ferry disaster that took 304 lives, but many doubts remain unresolved. South Korean media Newsis reported exclusively today that the Presidential Archives, affiliated with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, decided not to appeal the Seoul High Court's recent ruling that there is "no reason not to disclose" the document index of the Park Geun-hye administration on the day of the Sewol incident.
An official from the Presidential Archives stated that they will respect the judicial decision and added, "As a long time has passed, and from the standpoint of the public and the bereaved families, we are currently actively reviewing the disclosure of the index of archives related to the Sewol ferry." Following the decision not to appeal, the Presidential Archives will formally proceed with follow-up measures to disclose the document index regarding the "7 hours of the Sewol ferry" as early as early next month.
The report points out that the "7 hours of the Sewol ferry" controversy refers to the approximately 7-hour period on April 16, 2014, the day of the incident, from 10:15 AM when former President Park Geun-hye allegedly gave instructions, to 5:15 PM when she appeared at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, during which her whereabouts were unknown.
The "4/16 Sewol Families for Truth and A Safer Society" and "4.16 Coalition" stated, "This ruling opens the long-closed door of truth and brings a new phase to uncovering the truth of the Sewol disaster, marking a significant advancement." They also emphasized, "The Presidential Archives should immediately and transparently disclose the relevant record index." (Editor: Chen Hui-ping) 1150416
Yonhap News Agency reported that Lee Jae-myung, while presiding over a senior secretarial meeting at the Blue House today, stated, "As the person responsible for state affairs, I will do my best to ensure that the lives and safety of the people are no longer threatened by money or state negligence." He also expressed, "I would like to offer my condolences to the victims and once again express my deep sympathy for the pain endured by the bereaved families and survivors."
Lee emphasized the need to remember the disaster's pain, gently comfort the victims' trauma, and completely root out the erroneous idea of putting cost above safety and profit above life, firmly establishing a social culture that values life over money. He pointed out, "In order not to let such a tragedy happen again, all of us must do our utmost."
Twelve years have passed since the Sewol ferry disaster that took 304 lives, but many doubts remain unresolved. South Korean media Newsis reported exclusively today that the Presidential Archives, affiliated with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, decided not to appeal the Seoul High Court's recent ruling that there is "no reason not to disclose" the document index of the Park Geun-hye administration on the day of the Sewol incident.
An official from the Presidential Archives stated that they will respect the judicial decision and added, "As a long time has passed, and from the standpoint of the public and the bereaved families, we are currently actively reviewing the disclosure of the index of archives related to the Sewol ferry." Following the decision not to appeal, the Presidential Archives will formally proceed with follow-up measures to disclose the document index regarding the "7 hours of the Sewol ferry" as early as early next month.
The report points out that the "7 hours of the Sewol ferry" controversy refers to the approximately 7-hour period on April 16, 2014, the day of the incident, from 10:15 AM when former President Park Geun-hye allegedly gave instructions, to 5:15 PM when she appeared at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, during which her whereabouts were unknown.
The "4/16 Sewol Families for Truth and A Safer Society" and "4.16 Coalition" stated, "This ruling opens the long-closed door of truth and brings a new phase to uncovering the truth of the Sewol disaster, marking a significant advancement." They also emphasized, "The Presidential Archives should immediately and transparently disclose the relevant record index." (Editor: Chen Hui-ping) 1150416