MV Sewol Ferry Disaster Memorials Part 1

Kyeongbin Im (Class 4)

*No one was crazy. Your preciousness and your presence, you were always by my side and always knew I would answer if you called. I thought you would run and play well and always be with us. Your vacancy right now is so big in our hearts.*

Kyeongbin Im was born on the 14th of September, 1997. He was 16 when he died.

Kyeongbin Im lived with his parents and a younger sister, he cared for all of them. He started taekwondo at the age of 7 and became really good at it. He often exercised more than studied, which concerned his parents. He played basketball and soccer with his friends, and played PC games with his father or went hiking with him every Sunday. Kyeongbin's friends were Hyungjoon Ahn and Woonggi Kim. His dream was to become a lawyer.

Kyeongbin was found alive near the sunken ferry by the coast guard. He had suffered symptomps of drowning and hypothermia. The coast guard thought he was too close to death, and didn't bother to transport him to a hospital. Five hours later, after struggling to live, he finally gets into a hospital. His parents saw an electrocardiogram mark on his chest, but it wasn't enough to save him. He was pronounced dead by 11pm at the Mokpo hospital.

He now rests at Pyeongtaek Lakeside Memorial Park.

''Children's birthdays come and go everyday
With nine months in my heart, I enjoyed the joy of childbirth in the fall after summer with a body of full term...
Having lived for only 16 years, I was left in despair''