Voters in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, did not coordinate in the liberal parties’ sweep of the Seoul metropolitan area during the April 13 general election. The two constituencies -- Danwon-A and Danwon-B -- are residential districts of bereaved families of the Sewol ferry disaster.
It had been widely expected that angry sentiment toward the incumbent administration would lead to a landslide victory for opposition parties in the two constituencies. But the ruling Saenuri Party candidates were elected.
It has been two years since the tragic accident on April 16, 2014, and there is a need to review what the society has done to sincerely share the unforgettable pain and difficulties of ordinary residents in the region, as well as the bereaved.
Many opposition lawmakers had asserted that they would fight against the government until they reveal suspicions surrounding the efforts to rescue passengers including a group of Danwon High School students on a school excursion.
But the Sewol issue faded away in the National Assembly as time passed, and the opposition parties have stopped demanding a thorough probe into the sinking incident. Further, candidates from opposition parties nationwide have not put the Sewol issue as a political dispute agenda.
Apart from the victims’ families, another serious issue is that consumer sentiment in the region is still in the doldrums. Most small and midsized retailers are reportedly suffering sales slump, affected by physiological factors among residents and visitors. Quite a few retailers and residents have also left the district.
Danwon voters, as a result, appeared to have deserted the opposition parties as they left them to their own fate. They might have been desperate to seek state support by choosing ruling party candidates, rather than resort to incapable liberals.
On Thursday, a day after the election, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries vowed to start hoisting the sunken ferry in May and finish it by July. It said the sunken ship will be pulled out of the water intact in order to keep any remains of people still missing from the tragic sinking.
While the accident took more than 300 lives, nine of them still remain missing. The salvage work is expected to again remind citizens of the tragedy in two years.
And this Saturday, a large-scale memorial ceremony is scheduled at the Gwanghwamun square in downtown Seoul. Rallies will also be held at several locations.
On the occasion of the Sewol-related events led by the Maritime Ministry and ceremony, led by civic groups, it is time for the society to map out effective ways to normalize the regional economy of Danwon, Ansan City.
