#Remember0416🎗 | Why It Matters

The morning will come again
Because no darkness,
No season
Can last forever

A quick post for all the souls we lost in the Sewol Ferry tragedy four years ago.

On April 16, 2014, the ferry capsized and sank. There were about 304 people who died, most of them are students of the Danwon High School—they were on their way to Jeju Island for their field trip. The shoes of the victims were left at the harbour where all their friends and families wrote and left them messages.

It is a sensitive topic and really political. If you are easily triggered by this kind of stuff, please do not read on.

 

This is utterly heartbreaking ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

Last year, before Spring Day, if you asked me about the incident, I’d say I don’t know anything about it. Am I glad that I do now? Absolutely. How did I find out about it? No, I don’t read world news and whatnot. If you have been my reader for quite a while, you would have figured out by now how much I am into Bangtan. Believe it or not, the first song of them that snatched me was Spring Day. The song was about the Sewol Ferry tragedy and I did not know about it then. Later on in the fandom, I saw references and everyone talking about it. Why is it important and why is it controversial?

The Korean government released a blacklist of every artist and entertainer who donated, or showed any support to the families of the victims. After that was exposed to the general public, Bangtan donated 100M KRW to the families involved. [I won’t write everything that has happened here, but if you want to know all the details including the reason why it sank and how is the Korean government is involved (or not), you can read it here.]

You might think: “So, what? Everyone can donate.” It matters because they stood up for what is right and what their group stands for; they stood up against the injustice.

What does it have to do with me? As an aspiring writer, I have always wanted to create a platform that will spread awareness and kindness from the most mundane things to the most sensitive topics. To watch Bangtan do this inspires me more. Not all idols have the guts to write and produce songs that are politically sensitive and socially conscious, but they are doing just that. I guess it’s safe to say that I am being more mindful of everything around me because of them.

How does the incident affect me? Sometimes, I forget the value of life and I forget what it means to live. But to think that there are people who do not get the chance to go on because the circumstances don’t permit them to, it gives me more reasons to keep going and live for them and for myself;

When I think of all the loss and the heartbreak that these families go through but they still live on despite the pain that will never go away, it gives me strength to move forward too.

So, I really want to thank Bangtan for all the things they do for the society. With the song Spring Day, we will never forget.

See how they perform it live with the background of the water and their choreography started forming a boat and them moving like waves; them reaching out and holding on to each others—like the victims in the ferry, trying to hold on, to wait for rescue and to reach out for help. Bangtan really took this to their heart and soul, and we should as well.

I will always be thankful that Spring Day was the first video of them that I saw on Youtube. I’ve always thought the song is great but there is a lingering sadness on it. We all know why. The song holds heavy souls and empty hearts. It will never not make me cry.

The song talks about the cold, probably the coldness of the sea and how it feels like winter. But, spring always comes. The flowers will bloom again.

I know this is just one of the tragedies in the world, but I hope we learn from the past mistakes to avoid these things. Be kind. Always.

To the families who will always grieve,
개미 구멍으로 둑도 무너진다
안타까운 마음을 전합니다
상심이 크겠어요 ~
We will always remember

To all the souls we lost that day,
I hope you already found warmth
and that you are safely home

Let us live for ourselves and for all the people who couldn’t—life is too precious to waste away.

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Thank you for reading!
If my words reach you somehow,
I hope you can support me
by donating either
through Ko-Fi or Paypal.
I appreciate you lots.

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[Disclaimer: featured image is from the Spring Day music video, the shoes and the map, the classrooms, the yellow balloons」