The Sewol Ferry Sinking on April 16, 2014, has left significant emotional damages to those who are directly or indirectly related to the incident. Including Danwon High School students who were on their way to a school trip, the incident took hundreds of lives.
8-year-old Kwon, who was only five at the time of the sinking, also had to endure hard times after losing her family at sea. It’s been 40 months since the disaster but her mother, who was found dead in the ferry a week after the incident, remains as the only family member that’s not missing. Bodies of Kwon’s father and brother haven’t been found yet.
Two years after the sinking, the 7-year-old entered elementary school last year. Kwon was barely recovering from the traumatic losses at that time.
However, expectations of new life soon turned into more worries. At school, Kwon had to endure innocent yet heartbreaking questions asking about her family.
“Did your mom and dad both pass away?” asked Kwon’s classmates, in a callow manner. Her classmates’ questions brought back tragic memories to Kwon.
Eventually, the 8-year-old had to transfer to another school, in hopes to continue her school life around people who don’t know about Kwon’s losses. Unfortunately, the wish has been failed once again.
Now a second-grader at school, Kwon transferred to a new school once again. She even changed her name. Kwon, who used to cry saying, “mom and dad moved to Jeju only with my brother,” is now adapting to a new school.
Her relatives only wish that Kwon could continue her school life just as others in her age. However, innocent attention and curiosity of young students only make them worried.
Original article by Kim Ho
