South Korean shipwreck brings music, film and sporting events to a halt

South Korea deserves credit for the value that it allots to human life. It's tough for a nation to bounce back from any tragedy as devastating as the sinking of the Sewol, a cruise ship, off the coast of the country. The boat carried 485 passengers, including 325 high school students. The country may be hindering its peoples' ability to cope with the pressure put on citizens to remain glum however.

Numerous South Korean performers have opted to cancel album releases and concerts, at their own volition, in the wake of the disaster. Performers Lena Park and Yang Hee-eun have postponed record drops, while boy bands such as Infinite and SHINee have cancelled concerts for the time being. No one forced these performer's hands, however a cloud of derision will quickly descend on those who aren't sad enough. Critics lambasted the band EXO after its fans bought up tickets to a show that went on sale Wednesday night. Not for hosting a show in the wake of the tragedy, but because fans had the nerve to buy tickets as if it were any other day. It provides for one of the more awkward balances in recent memory: If I buy too early, I'm a jerk. If I wait too long, I don't get a ticket.

The expectations don't stop at music of course. Liquor brands have pulled advertising campaigns that feature celebration, and the government advised civil servants against golfing or imbibing. Granted, the aforementioned examples would occur in the United States as well: It's all press relations. The Korea Baseball Association plans on continuing with its scheduled games for this weekend, but promised that applause would be kept to a minimum.

By all means, take the time to mourn. But if there's anything Korea can take from the United States, it should give citizens the chance to rally around themselves as a community. If anything brought Boston together a year ago following the marathon bombings, it was the hometown baseball team. No somber words could engage the city, even the country, as much as Red Sox captain David Ortiz's simple statement: "This is our f-----g city."

Hopefully South Korea's vibrant music and arts scene can soon help its populace to rally around itself as well.