Poetry and Song Mark One-Year Anniversary of Jeju Air Disaster, Families Demand Answers
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A somber dedication ceremony held at Muan Airport on December 13th commemorated the first anniversary of the Jeju Air plane disaster, with bereaved families urging continued efforts to uncover the truth behind the tragedy. The event, filled with poetry recitations, memorial songs, and the dedication of a new collection, prioritized empathy and remembrance over traditional displays of applause.
A Collection Born of Loss and a Call for Remembrance
The commemorative poetry collection, titled ‘Wanting to See You’ and published by Anon Books, originated with the late painter Kim Kyung-hak, a family member directly impacted by the disaster. Having lost his daughter, Kim Ae-rin, a KBS Gwangju reporter, and her husband, he proposed to the Korean Writers’ Association that the tragedy be remembered through the power of poetry. Forty writers and bereaved families contributed to ‘Poet’s Words,’ a compilation honoring the 179 lives lost.
The dedication ceremony, hosted by Lee Seol-ya, chairman of the Poetry Division of the Korean Writers’ Association, featured a commemorative speech by Kang Hyeong-cheol, chairman of the Korea Writers’ Association, and a greeting from Kim Yu-jin, representative of the Jeju Air Disaster Victims’ Family Association. The program included the dedication of the poetry collection, as well as readings and musical performances.
Voices of Grief and Resilience
The atmosphere within Muan Airport was described as profoundly emotional. Attendees were deeply moved by excerpts from the poems, including lines from Go Young-seo’s ‘Waiting Room’: “Who wrote the handwriting/I love you, dad♡/With my younger siblings and my mother/I’ll endure it well!” and “There was/a plate of songpyeon.” The 282nd day since the disaster coincided with Chuseok, adding another layer of poignancy to the readings. Poets Ko Young-seo, Kwon Hyeon-hyeong, and Kwon Min-kyung evoked particularly strong emotional responses with their work.
The event also featured moving musical performances by singers Lee Mi-rang and Kim Se-hyung. Kim Se-hyung, the son of the late Kim Kyeong-hak and brother of reporter Kim Ae-rin, delivered a particularly impactful performance of a song based on poet Lee Won-gyu’s ‘Twinkle, please pretend you know.’ He shared that his father had requested the poem be adapted into a song for his son, adding a deeply personal dimension to the performance.
A Demand for Truth and Accountability
Beyond the artistic expressions of grief, a central theme of the ceremony was the ongoing pursuit of answers surrounding the disaster. Lee Seol-ya emphasized that, 350 days after the incident, the truth remained elusive. “I believe in the power of poetry because poetry is the leader of truth,” she stated, explaining that the writers contributed with the intention of “calling out each person’s name for 179 minutes.”
Kim Yu-jin, representing the Bereaved Family Council, articulated the profound sense of loss and unanswered questions. “Muan Airport is a place where our lives stopped and where questions began,” she said, adding that families have yet to receive satisfactory explanations for the tragedy. She implored attendees to “hold my hand and join forces not only while the collection is in existence, but until the questions the book raises are resolved.”
The dedication ceremony served not only as a tribute to those lost but also as a powerful call for continued investigation and accountability, ensuring that the memory of the Jeju Air disaster will continue to fuel the search for truth.
