On Monday, April 1, 2024, Metropolitan Ambrosios of Korea and Exarch of Japan, accompanied by Fr. Antonios Lim and theologian Eleni Cho, visited Ansan City, upon invitation, to meet with representatives of the student’s parents at the “4/16 Sewol Families for Truth and A Safer Society” office, who drowned on April 16, 2014, in the tragic maritime accident while traveling on a student excursion on the MV Sewol, in which 304 passengers, including 250 students from Danwon High School, died unjustly.
The parents respectfully received the members of the Orthodox Metropolis of Korea and reported to them two demands, which unfortunately have not yet been met after ten years: firstly, that the case be cleared up and that justice be done for those responsible for the accident. And secondly, the creation of a cemetery on a site near the high school, so that all the classmates can be buried together because they are buried in different places.
The representatives of the Orthodox Metropolis of Korea listened with great attention to the parents’ just demands and promised to do everything possible in their power to satisfy their demands, contacting the local City Hall and asking that the demands of the aggrieved parents be respected. They also informed them that they would hold a memorial service in which they would commemorate the names of all the students. The memorial service was decided to be held on Sunday 14 April.
After the meeting with the representatives of the parents, the representatives of the Orthodox Metropolis of Korea visited the plot of land where the parents are asking for the cemetery, which has been named “4/16 Life and Safer Park”, and the Exhibition of personal items of the victims, which are housed at the Ansan Arts Center, under the title: Special Exhibition of Memory Items for the 10th Anniversary of the Sewol Ferry Disaster.
Video: 10th-anniversary memorial service for the MV Sewol disaster