Seoul--South Koreans mark the first anniversary this week of the Sewol ferry disaster which scarred the national psyche and left a lasting legacy of bitterness, mistrust and division.
For the relatives of the 304 victims, especially the families of the 250 high school children who died, the past 12 months have done little to numb the pain and grief -- or the anger.
"Don't you ever say it has already been a year. Don't you ever say we should move on. We are still living that day," said Lee Keum-Hui, who lost her 16-year-old daughter when the Sewol went down on April 16.
For Lee's family, the past year has been especially wrenching, as her daughter was one of the nine victims whose bodies were never recovered -- depriving them of the closure of a funeral.
In deeply Confucian South Korea, a proper funeral is essential to show respect for the dead and allow their souls to rest in peace.
These days much of Lee's time is spent petitioning or taking part in protests with her husband to push the government to bring the 6,825-tonne vessel to the surface.
AFP
