The Ferry Sewol Part 2: Never-Ending Heartbreak

What shocks me about this tale to no end is that the captain could’ve screamed “ABANDON SHIP”, flail his arms in the air, and immediately hop overboard… And that would’ve been better at saving lives than what he actually did.

This is a shining example of what an investigative documentary should entail: straightforward facts, pictures, raw footage & diagrams all in a play-by-play of the incident.

This is really hard and sad to hear. I was on the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) who was near by when this happened. We were ready and able to help. Attached to VMM 265 Osprey tilt rotor aircraft, the narrative giving to us was that everything was under control and we were not needed. It pains my heart that this was not the case at all. That we could have helped and more importantly saved the life’s of many people that did not need to die on that day. Thank you for making this documentary, and bringing clarity to this event. RIP to the souls lost that day.

One of the worst parts is that both the US Navy and the Japanese Cost Guard were ready to go on day one but were told by ROK navy that they were not needed. If both the US and Japan could have gotten in the story would have been one of how strong the bonds were between the three countries and how many lives were saved... it just boggles me why no one asked for help, why they didn't want to get in there to save people. I really don't understand it.

This story is so famous in Korean, I visited in 2019 and still so many people had the yellow bow pins and attached to their mobile phones. You have honoured all the victims by making sure their story is told, especially in English. This tragedy and the government cover up/failures needs to be known and your efforts in making these two videos goes a long way towards doing that. 삼가 고인의 명복을 빕니다 to all who lost their lives.

May Mr. Kim, the one who went to find the kids and bring them home, may his soul be quieted and resting in Eternal Peace. PTSD is so brutal. He is a martyr, a hero.

Can you imagine how hair tearingly frustrated the soldiers on that amphib carrier must have felt? They crewed a ship DESIGNED for emergencies like this and have training for situations like this...and due to diplomatic protocols got to watch several hundred kids suffocate and/or drown from about 300 yards away...

Edd Sorenson who is a world renowned cave diving rescuer offered to help. The US navy had him on stand by. He is known for his many live and body rescues from underwater caves. Many say he is the best in the world. He fuels and flies his own plane and refuses any payment. He is the definition of a Hero. Also he was on stand-by for the Thailand class stuck in the cave. And eventually had to rescue one of British divers who rescued those kids. Philtec which are a group of rescue divers from the Philippines offeres assistance. It makes me cry thinking how those children might have thought no one cared enough. I wish we could tell that so many people around the world would have sacrificed themselves to save them.

I can’t even begin to imagine how the parents felt. Being told your child/children are safe only to find out they hadn't even been looked for and were still on the ferry, which was now completely under the water. Such a heartbreaking thing to happen.

The beginning brought me to tears. 3 long horn blows and 2 short blows is a master salute in nautical terms. It's used in special occasions, I'm assuming it was used to honor the lives lost on the Ferry after it had been placed on that transport vessel, as it is usually done around several other vessels.

This was not just incompetence. This was not just cowardice. This was not just selfishness. This was not just corruption. This was apathy. This was abhorrent. This was cruel. This was inhumane. None of the victims or their families deserved any of this.

I spent 30 years in the US Coast Guard the majority doing Search and Rescue. If I was driving the small boats approaching the ferry I would have told the on scene commander that my crew is going aboard to check for survivors not asked for permission. Thankfully that is how the USCG trains their crews. Trained to take action. God bless the victims.

This 'homemade' documentary is so much more detailed and nuanced than anything professional I've seen so far. Excellent work. No sensationalism, no fancy CGI, just a detailed rundown. Thank you.

I never knew just how bad this was. This was beyond negligence, it was cruel. The crew that stayed on board were heroes. This is the first one of your documentaries to make me cry. And I could hear it in your voice on that last line. Thank you for making these videos, and giving us the truth with respect to those affected by it. Those kids will not be forgotten.

“We weren’t all rescued. I think we escaped by ourselves. [. . .] They said they were going to rescue us, and we thought they would really do so. Since they were bringing helicopters and the coast guard, we thought it wouldn’t be a big deal. But now we can‘t be with our beloved friends, and we can’t ever see them again no matter how much we miss them for the rest of our lives. What was it that we did wrong? If there was something that we did wrong, I think it was getting off the Sewol ferry alive.” [...] “We have remained silent even though we were the victims because we lacked the courage because we were afraid of being criticized as in the past. But now we intend to take courage, too. Someday, when we meet our friends once again, we hope to be able to proudly tell them that we made sure that the people who separated us from our friends were held responsible, that we made those people pay the price.” Remarks by students who survived the sinking of the Sewol ferry at a candlelight rally held on Jan. 7, 2017 This is the same generation that was once again failed by their government during last year's Halloween crush at a popular nightlife district in Seoul, South Korea. The majority of those victims were in their 20s. The same age as those lost on the Sewol if they had survived.

This tragedy made me think of the Costa Concordia sinking in Italy: a coward captain and some crew members left leaving passengers and rest of the crew in a desperate situation. At least the Coast guard took control of the thing coordinating the rescue operation and saving 4197 people... 32 died and it's still an unacceptable tragedy. In the Sewol disaster even the coast guard refused to act waiting for someone else to do their job. The government proudly refused help offered by US and Japan. These poor kids died because captain, crew and coast guards failed them. The worse is they could have saved all of the 304 kids. They were in the golden hours reachable and not too many to save. The then Korean government trying to cover up his incompetence is really a no comment matter. Eternal thanks to the divers.

The opening scene of the ferry finally returning must be one of the most heart-rending visuals I have ever seen on youtube

For many years, I lived in Korea and worked as a university professor there. The Sewol disaster didn't surprise me, or any of my Korean friends. There is a culture of gaming the system, bribes to look the other way and a very strong Old Boys Network. In any such disaster, the first instinct of the those in authority is, "How can I can I offload responsibility?" Losing face is an enormous social ill in Korea. In this case, it was more important than the lives of children. Korea is the most Confucian culture in the world and the good kids did what they were told. The ones who disobeyed their "seniors" (sum-bae) lived.

This whole story is unfathomably sad, but the thing that always baffles me is how the captain can live with himself - as a man, as an adult, as a human being - after running off and leaving those kids like a 🙀? The guilt and shame would probably kill me if I did something like that.

As a retired emergency services director, it's painfully obvious this incident was an epic cluster f*ck on so many levels. I'm deeply saddened by those who died and my heart goes out to all the families who lost loved ones. Thank you for posting and be safe 🙏