The October 1 broadcast of SBS's "Tails of Tales" re-examined the tragic day of the 1970 Gyeongseo Middle School field trip disaster.
On October 14, 1970, third-year students from Seoul's Gyeongseo Middle School boarded buses to head home after a memorable school trip. As they enjoyed the scenery on their way to Seoul, their bus collided with a rushing train.
The site instantly plunged into chaos, and the violent impact caused the bus engine to explode, engulfing the vehicle in flames.
A few students aboard the affected Bus No. 3 quickly managed to escape. However, the vast majority were completely trapped. Local villagers who witnessed the crash rushed over to help pull the students out, but iron pipe structures fitted inside the bus prevented them from rescuing the children properly, and the bus burned ever more intensely.
Recorded as the most catastrophic bus disaster in South Korea since liberation, the 1970 Gyeongseo Middle School tragedy involved 473 third-year students and 11 teachers divided across seven buses. Tragically, 77 students happened to be packed into Bus No. 3 alone.
Bus No. 3 carried all the students of Class 3-3 and several from Class 3-4. Consequently, more than 40 people lost their lives in that single vehicle, a heartbreaking toll.
Investigations at the time revealed that not a single supervising teacher was on board the bus. Authorities promptly pointed to the lack of chaperones as a primary cause of the accident.
However, survivors pushed back strongly, saying, "You won't find this explanation in any media reports from back then. That narrative is completely false."
Before the convoy set out for Seoul, two students had gone missing, prompting teachers to search for them and help them board. Before the remaining students and teachers could board their assigned buses, Bus No. 3 suddenly departed on its own. Teachers had to rush onto the remaining buses; they had not neglected to ride Bus No. 3, but were simply left behind before they could board.
Reports at the time claiming that students were singing so loudly that the driver was distracted were also revealed to be false.
The driver of Bus No. 3 had an obstructed view of the tracks due to a two-story rice mill and a row of residential houses located right in front of the crossing. Unable to spot the oncoming train despite hearing the crossing alarm, he stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake to rush across the tracks.
The railway crossing also lacked barrier gates, an essential safety measure. Furthermore, despite the necessity for a traffic controller, only an auditory alarm had been installed, adding to the heartbreaking regret.
What was meant to be a joyous school trip turned into a horrifying nightmare in an instant, leaving deep emotional scars on those who survived. Over the course of 56 years, the survivors never forgot a dear classmate they missed dearly.
That classmate was Park Min-taek, who suffered the most catastrophic burn injuries among the survivors. At some point, Min-taek lost all contact with his peers, and to this day, none of them had been able to reach him.
The production team searched extensively for Min-taek, whom his classmates longed to see. They eventually located him after decades of living through enduring physical and emotional pain. Moved by the enduring love of his childhood friends, he summoned the courage to reunite with them.
Every October since the disaster, the survivors have gathered to visit the graves of their lost classmates. When Min-taek appeared before them after 56 years, they were initially stunned into disbelief.
Min-taek greeted them, saying, "It's been a long time. It's me, Park Min-taek." His friends embraced him warmly with deep emotion, saying, "Is that really you, Min-taek? You're alive!"
Seeing the visible scars that remained on Min-taek from that day, his friends lamented with heartache, "You had to carry that burden your whole life. Oh, goodness." Min-taek confessed his anguish over having virtually no memory of his middle school years. One friend consoled him, explaining, "That's because of the shock. You erased it to cope."
Gradually, Min-taek began recalling memories with his friends one by one. Seeing them finally share laughs together brought deep emotion to viewers.
Despite carrying their own lifelong trauma from the tragedy, the survivors shared hearty laughs upon reuniting with Min-taek and expressed their sincere gratitude to the broadcast for facilitating the reunion. Together with Min-taek, they then visited the graves of their fallen classmates.
After weeding and tidying the overgrown burial site, the friends bowed before their lost classmates. Looking out at the quiet cemetery where few ever visit, one friend offered a heartfelt message: "Don't feel sad thinking you've been abandoned. You still have friends who remember you like this. Rest well, and we'll come back so you won't be lonely." Another friend added with bittersweet warmth, "It won't be long until we meet again anyway."
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.