Father of ferry boat victim in 38th day of fast

Last think I did before leaving Seoul today was visit Kim Young-oh, the Hyundai plant assembly line worker who was in the 38th day of a fast aimed at forcing an official independent government-sponsored investigation into the sinking of the ferry boat, Sewol, which took the lives of  306 Koreans last April.  Kim lost his 17-year-old daughter, and he says he will fast until Parliament passes the legislation the families of the ferry victims’ want.

We spoke briefly, shook hands, and I told him many people were praying for him and the other Sewol families. I added the truth will come out.  He smiled and sat down.

Kim got his wish on day 34 of his fast. He delivered a handwritten letter to Pope Francis who stopped his pope mobile to spend a minute with Kim before he led the beatification ceremony of 125 Korean martyrs.