The MV Sewol video resurfaces painful recollections and reopens old wounds for those who have lost their loved ones in the disaster.
The recent debut of the Korean-language zombie series, “All of Us Are Dead,” on Netflix has ignited public interest worldwide.
However, for many South Koreans, particularly those who lost loved ones in the 2014 MV Sewol ferry tragedy, the series is a poignant reminder of one of the nation’s most devastating incidents in recent memory.
The catastrophe took the lives of 304 people, including about 250 high school students, who were abandoned by the ship’s crew as the ferry sank.
On April 16, 2014, the MV Sewol Ferry tragically sank while en route to Jeju island & claimed the lives of 300 high students & crew members. If u never heard about this disaster, pls watch this and educate yourselfhttps://t.co/w5i9HkDb0Jhttps://t.co/OMvB15nzC3#Remember_0416 pic.twitter.com/nf3tWe9R3J
— zi ❦ jay 🧸 (@springflowerjay) April 16, 2022
Netflix’s new number one series contains numerous scenes that echo the Sewol ferry disaster.
The series garners attention for its gory scenes but also raises a complex narrative for many South Koreans.
Tragedy Sparks Public Outcry
The Sewol ferry catastrophe occurred on April 16, 2014, when the Korean passenger ferry overturned.
The ferry carried 476 passengers, including over 300 high school students from Danwon High School in South Korea.
The cause of the disaster has never been officially determined.
However, it is believed that an overloaded ferry with cargo and passengers on its upper decks and a sharp turn taken by the captain led to the ship’s overturning.
What ensued was massive public outrage after it was discovered that several crew members, including the captain, deserted the ship, leaving passengers, particularly the students, helpless.
Numerous Twitter users have underscored the poignant link between various scenes in the Korean-language series and the tragic 2014 Sewol ferry disaster.
Watched 3 episodes of All of Us Are Dead and all I could think of was the Sewol tragedy 😢😢😢 How children were neglected by adults whom they put their hopes on…
— Fara~🌸 인생은 타이밍이다 (@farayas) February 2, 2022
It resulted in the loss of 304 lives, including approximately 250 students from a high school near Seoul.
These scenes serve as heartrending reminders of the tragic incident.
This incident underscored the necessity for more safety regulations to uphold the transparency and accountability of the shipping industry.
The MV Sewol video has become a poignant reminder of how disastrous the fallout of a single incident could be.
If individuals and institutions neglect their duties and give in to corruption, the consequences can be catastrophic.
MV Sewol video – evoking painful memories
The scenes from the Netflix series featuring high school students struggling to survive in the midst of a zombie outbreak echo the Sewol ferry disaster.
In the series, students fend for themselves after a zombie virus infects and takes over their school.
Their teachers also prove ineffective, abandoning the children like some Sewol ferry crew members who abandoned the ship.
Many social media users have pointed out that several scenes in the series pay tribute to the Sewol tragedy.
The yellow ribbon has become a recognized symbol of the evacuation incident.
The show’s producers also included a scene showing the students recording a video message to their parents.
This was an apparent reference to the farewell messages that the students recorded on the sinking ferry.
