[Summary] Gwak Sang-do "Deceased Shelter Director, Possible Suspicious Death"... Yoon Mi-hyang "Do Not Insult the Deceased"

Gwak Sang-do "Exact Cause of Death Must Be Revealed"
Yoon Mi-hyang "Baseless Allegations Damage the Deceased's Honor"

Gwak Sang-do, a member of the Future United Party, is holding a press conference on the afternoon of the 11th at the National Assembly Communication Office regarding the death of Son Mo, the director of the Justice Memory Solidarity (Jeonguiyeon) Mapo-gu shelter "Our House of Peace." [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Gwak Sang-do, a member of the Future United Party, raised the possibility of a suspicious death regarding the passing of Son Young-mi, director of the Mapo Shelter under the Justice Memory Foundation. In response, Yoon Mi-hyang, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized on the 11th, saying, "They are covering up unimaginable suspicions." Gwak detailed the circumstances surrounding the deceased's death, expressing that the cause of death was not convincing.

At a press conference held at the National Assembly Communication Office that day, Gwak said, "The police reported that the deceased was found sitting with a shower hose wrapped around her neck in the bathroom," opening his remarks.

He explained, "The shower was a stainless steel-colored ordinary household shower, and the showerhead was not fixed to any place," adding, "It is said that she died sitting with the shower hose wrapped several times around her neck, but notably, the first part of the shower attached to the wall (the temperature control part) was slightly higher than her head when seated."

He continued, "When asked about the position of the deceased's hands at the time of death, such as whether she was pulling the shower hose with both hands, no answer was given," and argued, "From experience and common sense, it is hard to accept that one could wrap a shower hose around their neck while sitting and die solely by their own will. If the cause of death is convincing, there is nothing more to say, but if my explanation is correct, this could be a suspicious death."

Finally, he demanded, "Who the deceased spoke with before death and the content of any text messages exchanged are key to uncovering the truth of the case," urging, "Investigative agencies should transparently disclose the forensic results."

Also, immediately after the press conference, when asked by reporters whether he was raising suspicions of homicide, Gwak responded, "I believe the cause of death must be clearly revealed," adding, "When hanging by the neck, death occurs due to pressure, but when sitting, the weight shifts to the hips, so the neck is not compressed. The police should explain this part."

Yoon Mi-hyang, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is arriving at her office in the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul, on the morning of the 11th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

As various suspicions arose regarding the circumstances of the deceased's death, Representative Yoon appealed, "Stop insulting the deceased."

On the afternoon of the same day, Yoon posted on Facebook under her office's name, saying, "I am deeply grieved by the sudden loss of my comrade and sister of 16 years," and added, "The deceased had been under psychological distress due to the prosecution's sudden search of the Peace Our Home and excessive media competition."

She continued, "The police confirmed that it was a definite case of suicide, and the National Forensic Service provisionally concluded from the autopsy that there was no suspicion of homicide," criticizing, "Nevertheless, Representative Gwak is raising 'conspiracy theories' and acting as if he is still a prosecutor directing a planned investigation."

The office pointed out, "They are again imposing unimaginable suspicions on Representative Yoon simply because the first reporter of the death was a secretary from her office," and added, "If the death was caused by indiscriminate suspicion-raising, what else could it be but pushing the deceased to death once again?"

They explained, "The first 119 caller was indeed a secretary from Representative Yoon's office," and said, "On the afternoon of the 6th, when contact was not made, everyone was worried. Knowing the recent mental state, the intention was to check on the deceased's home, so 119 was called, and ultimately the death was confirmed."

Finally, the office pleaded, "Please do not disparage the deceased's death," adding, "Mentioning the deceased's death circumstances in extreme detail and raising baseless suspicions itself damages the deceased's honor."

Yoon Mee-hyang, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is welcoming officials at 'Our House of Peace' in Yeonnam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 7th. The prosecution, investigating allegations of misuse of donations by the Justice and Memory Foundation (Jeonguiyeondae), recently conducted a search and seizure at 'Our House of Peace,' a shelter for former Japanese military 'comfort women' victims. Meanwhile, A (60), the caretaker of the facility, was found dead at his home. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The Justice Party has also raised its voice in criticism of Representative Gwak. Cho Hye-min, spokesperson for the Justice Party, said in a briefing that day, "Representative Gwak held a heinous press conference regarding the death of the Mapo Shelter director. It has not even been two days since the funeral. It is utterly tragic," and criticized, "The problem is that the entire press conference consisted of provocative expressions and diversionary content."

She added, "Representative Gwak is implicitly spreading the possibility of homicide, saying he cannot accept the cause of death. Does that mean if he cannot accept it, the public cannot either?" and pointed out, "Spreading conspiracy theories with weak evidence in the face of the deceased's death must be condemned."

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