Late Choi Hee-seok's Family "Deep Thanks to Apartment Residents and the Public"
Waited for Perpetrator's Apology, but Only Disputes Over Nasal Bone Assault
Citizens Express "Sorry" and "Regret" in Waves of Mourning
Family Pushes for 'Choi Hee-seok Act' to Prevent Abuse of Power
A memorial altar in front of the security guard post where a security guard at an apartment in Ui-dong, Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, who suffered from verbal abuse and assault due to parking disputes with residents and made an extreme choice on the 10th, used to work. It is filled with post-it notes mourning the security guard. Photo by Juhyung Lim, Intern Reporter skepped@asiae.co.kr
[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] "I would like to sincerely thank the people of the nation."
The bereaved family of the late Choi Hee-seok (59), a security guard at an apartment in Ui-dong, Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, who took his own life after suffering verbal abuse and physical assault from apartment residents, repeatedly expressed their gratitude for the nationwide wave of mourning.
In front of the funeral hall, condolence wreaths honoring the deceased were densely arranged, including those from members of the National Assembly, residents of Ui-dong Apartment, the Seoul Labor Rights Center, and the Korea Security Association.
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun and Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon each visited the deceased’s funeral hall and the incense altar set up at the apartment security post where he worked on the previous day (the 13th) to pay their respects to Mr. Choi.
At the funeral hall set up at Sanggye Paik Hospital in Nowon-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 13th, the bereaved family said, "We are truly very grateful to all the residents," adding, "Our younger brother, who passed away unjustly, seems to be able to rest a little more peacefully."
On the afternoon of the 13th, the funeral hall for the late Choi Hee-seok was set up at Sanggye Paik Hospital in Nowon-gu, Seoul. Photo by Han Seung-gon hsg@asiae.co.kr
According to the police and residents, on the morning of the 21st of last month around 11 a.m., Mr. Choi got into an argument with a resident in his 50s, Mr. A, over parking issues within the apartment complex. The reason was that Mr. Choi had moved Mr. A’s vehicle without permission. From Mr. Choi’s perspective, he was merely managing parking within the complex, but this quickly escalated into a serious dispute.
Mr. A assaulted Mr. Choi and then dragged him to the management office, demanding that he quit his security job, continuing to exert power over Mr. Choi.
Eventually, on the following day, the 22nd, Mr. Choi filed a police complaint against Mr. A for assault and other charges. However, before the complainant’s investigation could take place, Mr. Choi died by suicide. Before his death, he confided in his older brother, saying, "It’s too hard," expressing his distress.
The bereaved family said, "Our younger brother recently said, ‘It’s really too hard,’ expressing his feelings of injustice and pain." They added, "He was not the type to say such things during his lifetime..." trailing off.
The family demanded a sincere apology from the perpetrator just once. They said, "The perpetrator only denies the assault," and expressed frustration, "We don’t understand why he hasn’t offered a proper apology."
On the afternoon of the 13th, at the funeral hall set up at Sanggye Paik Hospital in Nowon-gu, Seoul, the bereaved family explained the late Choi Hee-seok's personality and other aspects during his lifetime. Photo by Han Seung-gon hsg@asiae.co.kr
The family extended the funeral period from three days to five days in hopes of receiving an apology from the perpetrator. They stated that if the perpetrator came to apologize at any time during this period, they would accept it. However, the perpetrator did not appear at the funeral hall.
The family said, "If the perpetrator came to the funeral hall, apologized in front of the portrait of our deceased brother, and even bowed once, it would allow our brother to rest peacefully." However, they raised their voices, saying, "But the perpetrator is disputing whether the assault actually happened."
The late Mr. Choi was known among his family for his kind character. The family said, "In short, our brother was someone who could live without the law," adding, "He had just started to live a better life, and now this happened. It breaks our hearts deeply," unable to continue for a while.
They continued, "He was filial to his parents and a caring father to his family."
A letter written by the deceased's two daughters for their father. In the letter, the daughters expressed their sorrow, saying "Our tender-hearted dad" and "How scared you must have been." Photo by Seunggon Han hsg@asiae.co.kr
His two daughters wrote letters for their father, who died after suffering from abuse of power. In the letters, the daughters expressed their sorrow, saying, "Our beloved dad, our dad whom we can no longer call, we didn’t even know you were in so much pain, we are truly sorry."
They added, "I miss you, Dad... I love you, Dad," and expressed gratitude, saying, "Thank you to all the residents who actively mourned for our dad at the funeral hall."
The family explained that their brother was diligent enough to work even the day after being assaulted.
They said, "Even after being severely beaten, he went to work the next day," adding, "He was teaching a new security guard how to work. Even though he had a nosebleed and his face was like that, he showed how to separate recyclables and how to water the flower beds."
The family plans to promote the so-called ‘Choi Hee-seok Act’ named after the deceased. They emphasized, "We will not only improve the poor working conditions of security guards but also completely eradicate the widespread abuse of power in Korean society through the ‘Choi Hee-seok Act.’" They added, "This law is for those in occupations who are despised and ignored in the blind spots of our society."
They continued, "With this law, there will no longer be customers speaking rudely in restaurants, and society will become one of mutual respect," emphasizing again, "We are willing to hold press conferences in the National Assembly and will do whatever it takes to pass the Choi Hee-seok Act."
They concluded, "No one in our society will suffer or take their own life due to abuse of power anymore," expressing frustration, "There have been many laws to prevent abuse of power, but I don’t know if any were effective. This security guard case is not the first, is it?"
On the morning of the 14th, the bereaved family of Choi Hee-seok, a security guard who recently took an extreme measure due to harassment by residents while working as an apartment security guard in front of the security office of an apartment in Ui-dong, Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, is holding a traditional Korean funeral rite. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Meanwhile, the funeral rite for the late security guard Choi Hee-seok was held on the 14th. The bereaved family held a send-off ceremony at the Sanggye Paik Hospital funeral hall in the morning and then moved to the apartment where the deceased had worked to hold the funeral rite.
The incense altar set up at the apartment security post was covered with condolence messages such as "Thank you for everything," and "Rest peacefully in a world without abuse of power."
Currently, the ‘Memorial Group for the Late Security Worker Choi Hee-seok,’ formed by civic groups, has filed a complaint against the perpetrator resident Mr. A. As of 3 p.m. on the same day, 351,116 people had agreed to a Blue House petition seeking justice for Mr. Choi’s wrongful death.
※ If you or someone around you is struggling with difficult issues such as depression, 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, or Youth Hotline ☎1388.
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