Jo Seowoo was born on November 25, 1997. She was a member of the 10th grade class #2 at Danwon High School in Ansan, South Korea. She lived for 16 years, 4 months and 22 days.
Seowoo was the eldest child in her family; she had a little brother. She was quiet and introverted, and didn't have very many friends at school. She tried very hard in school, but sometimes her mother worried. She liked to listen to music (rap was her favorite genre), go shopping and watch movies. Her dream was to become a flight attendant, and she also wanted to learn sign language. She had chosen to go on the field trip to try and make new friends, and she planned to go on a vacation with her mom after she'd come home.
Seowoo was a victim of the Sewol Ferry tragedy. The ferry Sewol was en route to Jeju Island from Incheon, South Korea, when it capsized on April 16, 2014. The majority of the 476 people on board were 10th graders from Danwon High School who were traveling to Jeju Island for a school field trip. When the ship started to sink, the crew ordered everyone to stay in their cabins and await help. Seowoo and most of the Danwon students on board obeyed the crew and remained in their cabins, passing the time by taking pictures and joking around with their friends. However, the coast guard only rescued those who'd come out on deck and didn't even attempt to rescue anyone inside the ship. The Korean government, ashamed at how the event unfolded, blocked volunteer rescuers and made excuses as to why rescue efforts could not continue. By the time they started recovery efforts, they were only finding bodies. There were hundreds of high schoolers, teachers and other passengers inside the ship and not a single one of them survived. The majority of them were still alive during the three hours it took for the Sewol to sink, recording videos of their ordeal and banging on the windows, begging to be saved - but they all eventually drowned or died of hypothermia. Those kids had trusted adults with their lives and were literally left to die. 304 people died in total, with 250 of them being Danwon High School students. The Sewol Ferry sinking was one of the most heartbreaking and senseless maritime tragedies to have ever happened. The students’ loved ones are still looking for answers as to why those 250 beautiful children had to die…and those answers may never come.
Seowoo's body was recovered and returned to her loving family on May 2nd.
Thank you to Debra for sponsoring Seowoo's memorial!!
Seowoo was the eldest child in her family; she had a little brother. She was quiet and introverted, and didn't have very many friends at school. She tried very hard in school, but sometimes her mother worried. She liked to listen to music (rap was her favorite genre), go shopping and watch movies. Her dream was to become a flight attendant, and she also wanted to learn sign language. She had chosen to go on the field trip to try and make new friends, and she planned to go on a vacation with her mom after she'd come home.
Seowoo was a victim of the Sewol Ferry tragedy. The ferry Sewol was en route to Jeju Island from Incheon, South Korea, when it capsized on April 16, 2014. The majority of the 476 people on board were 10th graders from Danwon High School who were traveling to Jeju Island for a school field trip. When the ship started to sink, the crew ordered everyone to stay in their cabins and await help. Seowoo and most of the Danwon students on board obeyed the crew and remained in their cabins, passing the time by taking pictures and joking around with their friends. However, the coast guard only rescued those who'd come out on deck and didn't even attempt to rescue anyone inside the ship. The Korean government, ashamed at how the event unfolded, blocked volunteer rescuers and made excuses as to why rescue efforts could not continue. By the time they started recovery efforts, they were only finding bodies. There were hundreds of high schoolers, teachers and other passengers inside the ship and not a single one of them survived. The majority of them were still alive during the three hours it took for the Sewol to sink, recording videos of their ordeal and banging on the windows, begging to be saved - but they all eventually drowned or died of hypothermia. Those kids had trusted adults with their lives and were literally left to die. 304 people died in total, with 250 of them being Danwon High School students. The Sewol Ferry sinking was one of the most heartbreaking and senseless maritime tragedies to have ever happened. The students’ loved ones are still looking for answers as to why those 250 beautiful children had to die…and those answers may never come.
Seowoo's body was recovered and returned to her loving family on May 2nd.
Thank you to Debra for sponsoring Seowoo's memorial!!
Jo Seowoo was born on November 25, 1997. She was a member of the 10th grade class #2 at Danwon High School in Ansan, South Korea. She lived for 16 years, 4 months and 22 days.
Seowoo was the eldest child in her family; she had a little brother. She was quiet and introverted, and didn't have very many friends at school. She tried very hard in school, but sometimes her mother worried. She liked to listen to music (rap was her favorite genre), go shopping and watch movies. Her dream was to become a flight attendant, and she also wanted to learn sign language. She had chosen to go on the field trip to try and make new friends, and she planned to go on a vacation with her mom after she'd come home.
Seowoo was a victim of the Sewol Ferry tragedy. The ferry Sewol was en route to Jeju Island from Incheon, South Korea, when it capsized on April 16, 2014. The majority of the 476 people on board were 10th graders from Danwon High School who were traveling to Jeju Island for a school field trip. When the ship started to sink, the crew ordered everyone to stay in their cabins and await help. Seowoo and most of the Danwon students on board obeyed the crew and remained in their cabins, passing the time by taking pictures and joking around with their friends. However, the coast guard only rescued those who'd come out on deck and didn't even attempt to rescue anyone inside the ship. The Korean government, ashamed at how the event unfolded, blocked volunteer rescuers and made excuses as to why rescue efforts could not continue. By the time they started recovery efforts, they were only finding bodies. There were hundreds of high schoolers, teachers and other passengers inside the ship and not a single one of them survived. The majority of them were still alive during the three hours it took for the Sewol to sink, recording videos of their ordeal and banging on the windows, begging to be saved - but they all eventually drowned or died of hypothermia. Those kids had trusted adults with their lives and were literally left to die. 304 people died in total, with 250 of them being Danwon High School students. The Sewol Ferry sinking was one of the most heartbreaking and senseless maritime tragedies to have ever happened. The students’ loved ones are still looking for answers as to why those 250 beautiful children had to die…and those answers may never come.
Seowoo's body was recovered and returned to her loving family on May 2nd.
Thank you to Debra for sponsoring Seowoo's memorial!!
Seowoo was the eldest child in her family; she had a little brother. She was quiet and introverted, and didn't have very many friends at school. She tried very hard in school, but sometimes her mother worried. She liked to listen to music (rap was her favorite genre), go shopping and watch movies. Her dream was to become a flight attendant, and she also wanted to learn sign language. She had chosen to go on the field trip to try and make new friends, and she planned to go on a vacation with her mom after she'd come home.
Seowoo was a victim of the Sewol Ferry tragedy. The ferry Sewol was en route to Jeju Island from Incheon, South Korea, when it capsized on April 16, 2014. The majority of the 476 people on board were 10th graders from Danwon High School who were traveling to Jeju Island for a school field trip. When the ship started to sink, the crew ordered everyone to stay in their cabins and await help. Seowoo and most of the Danwon students on board obeyed the crew and remained in their cabins, passing the time by taking pictures and joking around with their friends. However, the coast guard only rescued those who'd come out on deck and didn't even attempt to rescue anyone inside the ship. The Korean government, ashamed at how the event unfolded, blocked volunteer rescuers and made excuses as to why rescue efforts could not continue. By the time they started recovery efforts, they were only finding bodies. There were hundreds of high schoolers, teachers and other passengers inside the ship and not a single one of them survived. The majority of them were still alive during the three hours it took for the Sewol to sink, recording videos of their ordeal and banging on the windows, begging to be saved - but they all eventually drowned or died of hypothermia. Those kids had trusted adults with their lives and were literally left to die. 304 people died in total, with 250 of them being Danwon High School students. The Sewol Ferry sinking was one of the most heartbreaking and senseless maritime tragedies to have ever happened. The students’ loved ones are still looking for answers as to why those 250 beautiful children had to die…and those answers may never come.
Seowoo's body was recovered and returned to her loving family on May 2nd.
Thank you to Debra for sponsoring Seowoo's memorial!!
Gravesite Details
Name pronunciation: Joh Suhh-oo
