SEWOL MEMORIAL FOCUSES ON RECOVERY

[Anchor Lead]

There are those who remember the Sewol ferry sinking every day, every hour. They are the survivors and bereaved families of the tragedy. Over the long nine years, they have found their own ways to cure themselves. KBS met with the bereaved families and survivors who remember and overcome the Sewol ferry disaster by taking the stage in plays and writing essays.

[Pkg]

Troupe members from Ansan walking to the theater. They are here to act in a stage play about the journey of victims' families since the 2014 Sewol ferry sinking. Seven family members of the victims have roles in the play. They are used to putting on stage makeup, but stepping up on the stage is still unnerving.

[Soundbite] "Relaxing pills don't work anymore. What am I going to do?"

They were able to laugh again because they were together.

[Soundbite] Lee Mi-gyeong(Lee Yeong-man's mother) : "I lived like a bereaved family member in mourning. But now I laugh when I want to and live my life the way I want."

Another mother gets to hug her dear child, if only on stage.

[Soundbite] "Why are you so late? I missed you."

While the play was presented 62 times, the mother was always with her child.

[Soundbite] Park Yu-shin(Jeong Ye-jin's mother) : "My daughter liked standing on stage. Now I stand in for her. I act as if she's watching me."

Yu Ga-yeong, a survivor of the ferry sinking, visits the classroom nine years after the tragedy. Misery sometimes overtook her, but she learned how to move forward.

[Soundbite] Yu Ga-yeong(Author) : "I learned what community and life were by experiencing bitter times. I realized that living is having a job, eating delicious food and enjoying my hobbies."

Her life is no different than those of other young people who worry about finding a job. In her book about the past nine years, she wrote about the survivors' untold stories and her vow to live her life to the fullest.