WHEREAS, On the evening of April 15th, the ferry,
Sewol,
departed Incheon heading Jeju island. On board were 479 passengers: 325 high school students and 15 school teachers of Danwon High School who were on their way to a four-day field trip, 89 non-student passengers, and 30 crew members; and
WHEREAS, The tragic sinking of the
Sewol
occurred in the morning of April 16th in southwestern Korea; and
WHEREAS, 174 passengers were rescued by emergency responders and by passengers who sacrificed their lives to save others through many heroic and compassionate acts; and
WHEREAS, In Philadelphia, the Korean-American Association of Greater Philadelphia has established a public memorial where Philadelphians can go to and express their condolences for the victims and their families; and
WHEREAS, The people of Philadelphia have had a long and valued friendship with the people of Korea, including our Sister City, Incheon Metropolitan City, and now wish to offer comfort and sympathy in the spirit of unity; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we offer the sincere and heartfelt condolences of the people of Philadelphia to the people of Korea for the tragic loss of life as a result of the
Sewol
Ferry accident on April 16, 2014.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution shall be presented to the Consulate of the Republic of Korea in New York to be delivered to Korea.
End