A Country Grieving

The ferry crash was traumatic for Korea.  On first glimpse it did not seem like the people at my school were dramatically impacted by the crash.  Of course, everyone is affected by the loss of so many people.  However, the more I've learned and the more I've talked with my co-teachers, I've realized that they are all grieving.  They are all struggling the loss of so many especially so many students.

It's the little things that show this.  Students who say they are sad when you ask them how they are.  Concerts by famous K-pop bands have been canceled and other big events.  Even a Global Gathering that was scheduled in the fall at the new Busan Citizens Park has been postponed.  My school had sports day on May 1st.  I was off that day, but they dramatically scaled back the day.  It's usually a big affair and a day full of sports activities and presentations.  There are typically fan dances and singing and lots of fun for the students.  Many schools canceled their sports day and even their field trip days.  My school had both but sports day was cut to two periods per grade level.  Grades 1 and 2 had sports day activities during period 1 and 2.  Grades 3-4 during periods 3 and 4 and Grades 5 and 6 had sports day after lunch during periods 5 and 6.  They still had foot races but they didn't use a gun to mark the start of the races.    Most of the time classes make up cheers and posters to cheer on the contestants from their classes, but that didn't happen this year.  All of these changes are because of the ferry crash.  Everyone is sad is what I was told.  They don't feel like they should be happy.  There is so much grief over the loss and the fact that those in charge should have acted more adequately to either prevent it or to save more after the crash.

Above is an email I received from the organization that I take Korean classes from.  They also are the ones that planned the Global Gathering.

They are hurting.  My co-teacher told me of a mother who wants to move anywhere but Korea.  She has money and has influence and yet she lost her daughter in the ferry crash.  She feels as though her children are not safe here even though she has money and influence there is nothing to change that.  She feels out of control and overcome with grief that she doesn't want to live here any more.  My co-teacher told me she understood the woman's feelings and would move too if she had the money.  I asked her where and she said anywhere but Korea.

For me the hardest part was the fact that the students listened to authorities and stayed where they were even when the boat was listing.  I read somewhere that many of them were in areas close to rescuers and could have been rescued if they had tried to escape the boat instead of staying where they were.  It sounds so basic to try and get out of a sinking ship.  Yet, as describe in one of the CNN articles linked below, culture plays are part in this.  Children are valued in Korea.  Obedient children are highly valued.  Children are taught from a young age to respect elders and to be obedient.  Their respect for elders and those in authority are seen from the words they use (formal vs. informal language is very much a part of the culture) as well as their greetings and how they bow to others in greeting.  These high school students have been taught for years to be obedient to authorities.  Therefore, when the captain and crew were on the intercom and going from cabin to cabin and telling them to stay where they were.  They followed.  They were scared and yet they trusted those in authority to take care of them. Because they were not, many parents and many people of Korea grieve.  They grieve that those in charge did not ensure the safety of the passengers and in particular the students.  They struggle with this.

As I mentioned above, I was off on May 1st.  It's Labor Day here in Korea.  Essentially it is for contract laborers to have a day off, but not necessarily for government workers.  Therefore, my school was open.  I was off because I work on a contract and am not considered a government employee.  My status is different than most of the teachers at my school.  There is another teacher at my school also on a contract but she is more necessary for teaching and therefore worked but was compensated with 2 additional days off during summer vacation for working this day.  May 1st was  Thursday.  The following Monday and Tuesday were also holidays.  Therefore, having Friday off would have been wonderful because I could have had 6 consecutive days off.  However, I didn't even ask.  I knew that it is not typical of Korea and they prefer to not have time off like that, especially when students are at school.  I also knew it would cost me a day of personal leave from my summer vacation and I do not want to take any of that time because I want to come home then.  A friend of mine from orientation who lives in a different city posted on that Friday a comment from her co-teacher.  Essentially what she said was that it was good that my friend did not ask for that day off.  Right now, there is a negative view of government workers because of the ferry crash.  Therefore, right now it is best for all to look very responsible.  It is best to not look lazy and that is how it would look if someone had taken that day off.  Again, it looks back to a country grieving.  They are struggling with coping with the tragedy.  And who can blamed them.  Three-fourths of the junior class of one high school was on that boat.  The majority of the passengers I believer were all students.  I cannot even fathom that loss.  I cannot imagine what it would be like to walk into my school building and see that three-fourths of my classmates are not there and will not return.  I cannot comprehend the loss.  And neither can Korea.  They are all grieving.


A few CNN articles that I felt were very insightful about the Sewol crash:

Link 1     Link 2