When the SeWol started sinking, the first to leave were the captain and members of the crew. Instead of conducting the escape process, the captain abandoned the ship and fled for his life. The captain was later sentenced to 36 years in the prison. In addition to reaction against the actions of the captain and much of the crew of the SeWol, there had been a much wider political reaction to the disaster. Criticism directed towards the government and related authorities ranged from anger at the lax regulatory environment to anger about the rescue operations in general. The President of South Korea, Park Geun-hye, was also severely censured by the public, whose approval rating dropped from a high 71% before the incident to the 40% range weeks afterwards.
Barack Obama, the President of the United States, sent his condolences, stated that the United States would actively help in the search for survivors. The Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, offered sympathy to the victims. Tan Sang, the President of Vietnam, as well as the deputy prime minister, sent condolences to victims of the disaster. Singapore's Prime Minster Lee Hsien Loong, and the President of China, Xi Jinxing, also sent condolences regarding the incident. The sinking of the SeWol soon became an issue that was widely known outside of Korea, and gained so much international, political, as well as civilian support by the time the activism movement formally began.
The activism movement associated with the SeWol disaster formally started in mid-April followed by a series of shocking events. On April 17th, South Korean prosecutors and protestors conducted a massive raids on the office of the Korean Register of Shipping, and the chairman and CEO of the organization resigned soon after. On April 18th, the rescued vice principal of the Danwon High School committed suicide by hanging himself. The Police stated that a note was found in his wallet saying that "surviving alone is too painful when more than 300 lives are unaccounted for... I take full responsibility." The vice principal had organized the field trip that had brought the high school party aboard the ship. The note ended with a request that his body be cremated and the ashes scattered over the site of the accident. On April 22nd, a Korean citizen made a post encouraging others to take part in the "yellow ribbon wearing campaign." The image accompanying the post had a caption stating "one small movement, big miracles." Since then, the yellow ribbon has gained meaning to symbolize mourning for the victims of the SeWol disaster. The ribbons were prominent in the social media, sometimes as profile photos. The movement gained even more momentum when celebrities joined the movement and actively advocated citizens to get more involved. The online movement was initially organized by a local student club. The group's primary purpose was "to support the families of the missing and offer a hopeful message to the Korean public that the missing passengers could still be found alive." Other variations of the yellow ribbon image have also begun to circulate on popular social media sites, and Korea celebrities have helped spread the word.
The families and relatives of Danwon high school students started a physical protest movement that began in the high school. Parents, relatives, and friends gathered around the high school, demanding immediate action of the government to begin more extensive searches for survivors. Some extremists of the movement fasted for weeks, trying to raise awareness of the public and gain more support for the movement. The protest that began in April continued on for months, lasting until November. Supporters of the movement even spread out to major cities of Korea, demanding for more national support and signing petitions.
Barack Obama, the President of the United States, sent his condolences, stated that the United States would actively help in the search for survivors. The Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, offered sympathy to the victims. Tan Sang, the President of Vietnam, as well as the deputy prime minister, sent condolences to victims of the disaster. Singapore's Prime Minster Lee Hsien Loong, and the President of China, Xi Jinxing, also sent condolences regarding the incident. The sinking of the SeWol soon became an issue that was widely known outside of Korea, and gained so much international, political, as well as civilian support by the time the activism movement formally began.
The activism movement associated with the SeWol disaster formally started in mid-April followed by a series of shocking events. On April 17th, South Korean prosecutors and protestors conducted a massive raids on the office of the Korean Register of Shipping, and the chairman and CEO of the organization resigned soon after. On April 18th, the rescued vice principal of the Danwon High School committed suicide by hanging himself. The Police stated that a note was found in his wallet saying that "surviving alone is too painful when more than 300 lives are unaccounted for... I take full responsibility." The vice principal had organized the field trip that had brought the high school party aboard the ship. The note ended with a request that his body be cremated and the ashes scattered over the site of the accident. On April 22nd, a Korean citizen made a post encouraging others to take part in the "yellow ribbon wearing campaign." The image accompanying the post had a caption stating "one small movement, big miracles." Since then, the yellow ribbon has gained meaning to symbolize mourning for the victims of the SeWol disaster. The ribbons were prominent in the social media, sometimes as profile photos. The movement gained even more momentum when celebrities joined the movement and actively advocated citizens to get more involved. The online movement was initially organized by a local student club. The group's primary purpose was "to support the families of the missing and offer a hopeful message to the Korean public that the missing passengers could still be found alive." Other variations of the yellow ribbon image have also begun to circulate on popular social media sites, and Korea celebrities have helped spread the word.
The families and relatives of Danwon high school students started a physical protest movement that began in the high school. Parents, relatives, and friends gathered around the high school, demanding immediate action of the government to begin more extensive searches for survivors. Some extremists of the movement fasted for weeks, trying to raise awareness of the public and gain more support for the movement. The protest that began in April continued on for months, lasting until November. Supporters of the movement even spread out to major cities of Korea, demanding for more national support and signing petitions.