Media Tributes
Songs related to the MV Sewol Tragedy
BTS- Spring Day
BTS’s 2017 hit “Spring Day” is a reflective, passionate tune about love, loss, and yearning for the past—although the song is unspecific about what exactly the yearning is for. However, the cover art, as well as the music video, alludes, with water imagery, to a tragedy in recent South Korean history—the April 2014 sinking of the Sewol ferry. In Esquire’s Winter cover story, Dave Holmes asks the members of BTS if “Spring Day” is about a specific event. “It is about a sad event, as you said, but it is also about longing,” Jin, the oldest member of the group, 28, told Esquire. He also said that “Spring Day” really represents him personally. “I like to look to the past and be lost in it.”
f(x)- Red Light
f(x)'s 2014 song "Red Light" is a song that criticizes the Sewol ferry incident. Many lines from the song reference the accident, and the public deemed the usage of the word “flooding” controversial. The language was used in the following quote, “It’s taken too long for this miracle to come, But we wait for the blue light, we want it. Stop the flood (this is reality, listen to my voice), Open your eyes wide (look at the world in front of you), The one who’s only been pushed (a bright light pushed you),”. Although many criticize this song for the wording used, there is a mutual appreciation from many people for publicity surrounding this event.
Cheetah and Jung Sung Hwan- Yellow Ocean
This song was released on Tribe of Hip Hop 2 and encouraged listeners to never forget the Sewol Ferry Tragedy. Not only do the lyrics commemorate the victims but they also heavily criticize the incident.
Shin Yong Jae (4Men) and Lee Da Woon- You Whom I Love
This song was composed by one of the victims, Lee Da Woon. It was found inside his cell phone, and sent to his role model Shin Yong Jae by his family. Shin Yong Jae finished and released the song for him.