Friday, April 18, 2014

Jiyoung Park, Hero of the Sewol

A translation of an article about hero employee of the Sewol ferry disaster, Jiyoung Park. The original is here.

Ferry Attendant Jiyoung Park: "All of you first".
Her Sublime Sacrifice

The first confirmed death of the Sewol ferry disaster was ship attendant Jiyoung Park. 

Rescued students reported that to the very end, Jiyoung Park was directing them to safety. 

Jinhee Kim reporting.

Jiyoung Park was the information coordinator for guests aboard the Sewol.

Even as the water rose to the third floor cabins, she helped rescue passengers with other crew members, and when it became time for the crew to abandon ship, she stayed and gave the last life vest to a student.

A survivor: "Even then she wasn't wearing a life vest. She was guiding people with self-possession. She was announcing, 'The rescue ship is arriving'." 

To the students, she was a crewmember to the very last. 

As she helped students jump down from the ship, she said that she would follow them after they were all out.

All the passengers who followed her directions were saved.  

However, true to her own words, she didn't make it out.

Jiyoung Park's mother: "My child. I want to see you."

An attendant who did her duty to the last.

Park was a faithful daughter who supported her widowed mother and younger sister.

Jiyoung Park's mother: "My poor child. How can I send you away?" 

Though the youth of this 22 year-old martyr is buried in the high waves, she left behind, on the behalf of the students, something more moving.

Jinhee Kim reporting for MBC. 

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