▲ President Lee Jae Myung delivers a memorial address during a ceremony marking the 12th anniversary of the 2014 sinking of the Sewol ferry at a park in Ansan, southwest of Seoul, on April 16, 2026. (Yonhap)
▲ President Lee Jae Myung (4th from R) pays his respects to the victims of the 2014 sinking of the Sewol ferry at a park in Ansan, southwest of Seoul, on the 12th anniversary of the tragedy on April 16, 2026. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) Lee-ferry disaster

(LEAD) Lee says feels 'heavy responsibility' over 2014 Sewol ferry disaster

(ATTN: UPDATES with Lee's remarks, photos; RECASTS headline, lead para; ADDS byline)

By Kim Eun-jung and Yi Wonju

SEOUL, April 16 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung pledged Thursday to make utmost efforts not to repeat a disaster that was seen in the 2014 Sewol ferry sinking, saying that he felt "heavy responsibility" over the maritime disaster.

A total of 304 people, mostly teenagers on a high school trip, died when the Sewol ferry sank April 16, 2014, as the overloaded ship capsized.

"I pledge to do my utmost to ensure that the lives and safety of the people are never again threatened due to money or the absence of the state," Lee said during a meeting with senior aides.

He underscored the need for comprehensive efforts to prevent such tragedies, calling for continued support for the victims and stronger safeguards to prioritize public safety.

"We must remember the pain of the tragedy and warmly embrace the wounds of the victims, while eradicating the misguided perception that places cost above safety and profit above human life," he said.

Later in the day, Lee attended a memorial ceremony in Ansan, southwest of Seoul, to commemorate the 12th anniversary of the disaster. It marked the first time a sitting president has attended such a ceremony related to the sinking.

"I feel a heavy sense of responsibility as the president of the Republic of Korea," Lee said.

"We all witnessed what happens when a country fails to fulfill its duty to protect the lives and safety of its people," he added. "I vow not to forget, even for a moment, the mistakes and heavy lessons of that day to ensure that such a tragedy is never repeated."

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