YONGSAN, South Korea - Area II Soldiers and members of the community visited a memorial altar at the Yongsan-gu district office, May 12, to honor the victims of the recent ferry tragedy.
On april 16, during a routine 13.5 hour trip from Incheon to Jeju, the MV Sewol began taking on water. The ship sank taking 275 lives with it. Most of the victims were high school students returning from a class trip.
There is much debate and public outcry as to what caused the ship to sink and who is to blame. News outlets reported that a sharp turn caused the ship to list violently and shifted cargo containers causing the crew to not be able to right the ship.
The memorial was organized to unite the community and to offer condolences for the lost lives.
Col. Michael E. Masley, commander of U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan, wrote a message on a yellow ribbon at the memorial site. It read: “The USAG Yongsan community’s thoughts and prayers are with you.”
The memorial altar at the Yongsan-gu district office is open from Monday through Sunday, 7:00 a.m. to 11 p.m. during weekdays, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. during weekends and holidays.