The Sewol Ferry was a passenger ferry that sank off the coast of Jindo, South Korea, on April 16, 2014. The tragedy resulted in the deaths of 304 people, many of whom were high school students on a field trip. The ferry was overloaded and had made illegal modifications, which contributed to the disaster. The incident led to widespread public outrage and criticism of the South Korean government and the ferry's crew for their handling of the situation. Investigations revealed failures in safety regulations and emergency response, prompting reforms in maritime safety laws in South Korea.