{"id":2204735,"date":"2024-04-18T17:19:43","date_gmt":"2024-04-18T08:19:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2204735"},"modified":"2024-04-19T18:09:21","modified_gmt":"2024-04-19T09:09:21","slug":"sewol-ferry-documentary-delay-sparks-outcry-as-victims-seek-justice-and-closure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2024\/04\/sewol-ferry-documentary-delay-sparks-outcry-as-victims-seek-justice-and-closure\/","title":{"rendered":"Sewol ferry documentary delay sparks outcry as victims seek justice and closure"},"content":{"rendered":"
On April 16, 2014, the South Korean ferry <\/span>MV Sewol<\/span><\/a>, carrying 475 passengers, capsized and sank near Jindo, South Jeolla Province, en route to Jeju Island. The crew\u2019s inadequate response and negligence led to the loss of 304 lives, mostly high school students, sparking widespread public outrage and demands for accountability and safety reforms in South Korea.<\/span><\/p>\n A decade later, the Korean Broadcasting System\u2019s (KBS) decision to postpone a documentary film about the Sewol ferry tragedy on its 10th anniversary underscores the country\u2019s ongoing struggle for truth, accountability and depoliticization of the event.<\/span><\/p>\n DOCUMENTARY CONTROVERSY<\/b><\/p>\n In Feb. 2024, the national broadcaster\u2019s Docu Insight team faced an unexpected setback when executives postponed the airing of its documentary commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Sewol ferry disaster. The documentary, intended to center on the lives of the survivors and their families, was initially slated for a premiere on April 18 but was pushed to June.<\/span><\/p>\n KBS executives delayed the release due to concerns over the documentary\u2019s potential influence on the April 10 general elections. They claimed that \u201cthe one to two-month period surrounding the general election could still impact the elections.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n