South Korea: Nationwide memorial service April 16

Event

A nationwide memorial service is taking place on Monday, April 16, in honor of the victims of a tragic ferry boat sinking in 2014 that took more than 300 lives in one of South Korea's worst maritime disasters. Thousands have congregated at the memorial altar in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province. Every region is also holding its own memorial service for the victims.

Context

This year marks the fourth anniversary of the sinking of the Sewol ferry, which went down in waters off of South Korea's southwestern coast on April 16, 2014. The death toll of the incident came to 304, and was mostly comprised of high school students on a trip to the resort island of Jeju. Authorities cited overloading of freight as the official cause of the sinking.

Advice

Individuals present in South Korea are advised to take note of this sensitive celebration and to adopt appropriate public behavior.