Park Won-soon "So regrettable. Society must become socially sensible"
In front of the security booth of an apartment in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, where security guard A, who made an extreme choice after a conflict with a resident that started over a "parking issue within the complex," worked, memorial messages from residents were posted on the 11th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] Park Won-soon, Mayor of Seoul, visited the funeral hall of the late security guard Choi Mo (59) at an apartment in Ui-dong, Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, who took his own life due to "resident power harassment," on the 13th, saying, "It is very tragic. Our society must become a reasonable and rational society."
On the same day, around 5:30 p.m., Mayor Park visited the funeral hall of the late Mr. Choi, set up at Inje University Sanggye Paik Hospital located on Dongil-ro, Nowon-gu, to pay his respects, and said, "We will think deeply about what we can do (to prevent recurrence) to stop repeated power harassment against security guards."
According to residents and the police, Choi, who worked as a security guard at this apartment, was found dead near his home around 2 a.m. on the 10th. It is reported that he left a note expressing his grievance.
According to residents, on the morning of the 21st of last month, around 11 a.m., Choi had an argument with a resident in his 50s, Mr. A, over parking issues within the apartment complex. Afterwards, Mr. A assaulted Choi and took him to the management office, demanding that he quit his security job.
Choi filed a complaint with the police against Mr. A on the 22nd, the day after the incident, on charges including assault. Some residents even held an emergency residents' meeting on the 5th to discuss countermeasures regarding this matter.
However, Choi died by suicide before the complainant's investigation. Mr. A, identified as the alleged assailant, reportedly denied the claim, stating, "It is not true that I assaulted him to the extent that his nasal bone was broken."
Meanwhile, a Blue House (Cheong Wa Dae) petition demanding strict punishment for the perpetrator has surpassed 300,000 signatures.
The petition titled "Please clear the injustice of our apartment security guard," posted on the Blue House petition board on the 11th, had 308,613 supporters as of 6 p.m. on the 13th.
The petitioner stated, "(The security guard) was truly a good person. He always treated the residents well and sacrificed himself for the apartment residents as if they were his own family and his own responsibility," adding, "Every morning, he greeted us first with 'Hello,' and was like a vitamin giving smiles on difficult commutes."
The petitioner then urged for strict punishment of the perpetrator. They claimed that the incident started last month due to parking issues and that resident Mr. E, who assaulted Choi, hit him several times and verbally abused him during working hours.
The petitioner said, "(The perpetrator) is said to have worked in the entertainment industry as a manager. If he is involved with organized crime, I request a thorough investigation," adding, "I would like to ask for the death penalty if possible, but I want a thorough investigation to clear the security guard's grievances. Even if not the death penalty, I want life imprisonment," calling for severe punishment.
The Gangbuk Police Station in Seoul, investigating this case, has imposed a travel ban on the resident suspected of "power harassment and assault." The police plan to summon and investigate this resident within this week.
※ If you have difficult thoughts such as depression or know family or acquaintances experiencing such difficulties, you can receive 24-hour professional counseling at the Suicide Prevention Hotline ☎1393, Mental Health Counseling ☎1577-0199, Hope Call ☎129, Life Line ☎1588-9191, and Youth Hotline ☎1388.
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