It was supposed to be their last bit of teenage fun. The realities of life would descend on the 325 students from Danwon High School near Seoul next school year in the form of cram time: nonstop study to prepare for South Korea's notoriously tough university entrance exams. A four-day field trip to Jeju, a volcanic island whose white beaches and waterfalls lure hundreds of school groups each spring, was the planned distraction. The students would travel on a five-level ferry named "Sewol," meaning "time and tide." More than two-thirds of the passengers were from Danwon, adding a feeling of camaraderie to the adventure. Ko Hyun Suk, 16, spent the days before the trip shopping for clothes to wear in Jeju. The chance to take a trip for the first time with friends rather than family added to the excitement for the boy and his classmates, Ko's mother said. Not every Danwon student wanted to make the trip. Park Ji Yoon didn't like ferries. She decided to go only after her family said … [Read more...] about Two hours turned school island excursion to horror at sea