"Went to the police station with evidence... but was sent back saying it was a suicide attempt"
Second older sister suddenly dies while uncovering the case
The bereaved family of a victim who made an extreme choice after being threatened by senior and junior soldiers during military service is claiming police negligence in the investigation. The photo is unrelated to specific content within the article.
[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] Mr. A, the father of a son who took his own life after being threatened with a hand axe by senior and junior soldiers who served together in the military, urged people to support a Blue House national petition, saying, "I am filled with anger over the police's inadequate initial investigation."
On the 6th, Mr. A wrote on the online community Bobae Dream, "As a poor father who lost the youngest son and the second daughter among three siblings in August 2021, I write this with tears of blood, feeling the gut-wrenching pain over the tragic deaths of my children," beginning his statement.
Regarding the incident, Mr. A explained, "On the morning of August 8, just one week after my youngest son was discharged from the military, a third person?his middle school classmate?who was neither a senior nor junior, came threatening with a 'hand axe,' demanding repayment of money my son never borrowed. They forced my son to sign a written pledge," he said. "They dragged my son around by his hair wearing only his underwear, struck concrete with the hand axe, and made him kneel on the rooftop floor to write the pledge."
He added, "Thinking about my son's extreme shame and fear, who had no one to turn to and was driven to such an extreme choice, makes my blood boil and my heart tear apart."
Furthermore, Mr. A expressed anger at the police's inadequate initial investigation. He said, "It was clearly not a simple suicide, and three people were definitely accomplices. However, unlike the junior soldier who was arrested by the military police on the day of the incident, the senior soldier was released after only giving a witness statement, not as a suspect," he said. "The middle school classmate was not even questioned as a witness, and the police did not even file a case regarding my son's death. I am furious at the police's outrageous investigation conduct."
Mr. A said he requested a proper investigation from the police, but they only repeatedly gave indifferent and intimidating responses to wait. "I regret myself for not even being able to properly express anger out of fear that there might be further harm, and obediently trusting the police investigation," he said.
He continued, "Ultimately, due to the police's sloppy and delayed investigation, the desperate task of uncovering the truth of the case fell to the remaining bereaved family. Without even time to console the grief of losing my youngest son Junho, my second daughter, who bore the trauma of witnessing her brother's horrific corpse and was running around searching for evidence, suddenly passed away from a sudden death," he said.
He also revealed, "My daughters took the pants my son wore that morning to the police station. Those pants had footprints, white dust all over, and strong marks on the knees, with what appeared to be urine stains in the crotch area. Since this could be evidence that my son was kicked and tormented like this, we immediately brought them to the police station, but the detective dismissed it as mere traces of a suicide attempt in the afternoon and returned the pants."
He added, "Please help ensure that the police officers who allowed the three devils to roam free without guilt due to their inadequate initial investigation and the perpetrators receive appropriate punishment," urging people to support the Blue House national petition. "My son left without even closing his eyes, my daughter did not even see their arrest, and the involvement of the third person as an accomplice has not been clarified," he said.
Finally, Mr. A pleaded, "Please help. Even now, whenever I come home, it feels like my son is studying and my second daughter is welcoming me, saying I worked hard."
Earlier, on August 8, at an apartment in Seosan City, Chungnam Province, the late soldier Kim Junho was threatened by senior and junior soldiers from his military days and a third person, his middle school classmate, who came wielding a hand axe. Eight hours later, he took his own life. The second sister, who was desperately searching for the reason behind her brother's death, suddenly died at the age of 26, unable to wake up one morning.
※ If you or someone around you is struggling with difficult feelings such as depression, you can receive 24-hour professional counseling through the Suicide Prevention Hotline ☎ 1393, Mental Health Counseling ☎ 1577-0199, Hope Call ☎ 129, Lifeline ☎ 1588-9191, Youth Hotline ☎ 1388, Youth Mobile Counseling app 'Da Deureojul Gae,' KakaoTalk, and other services.
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