Transferred to hospital for burn treatment
Family states "Burn and trauma treatment remain"
"Will face it receiving love from supporters"
The public official who was attacked with hydrochloric acid by a complainant at Pohang City Hall, Gyeongbuk, on the 29th of last month is currently receiving treatment at a specialized ophthalmology hospital in Seoul. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article / Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] A tragic story has emerged of a public official who suffered facial burns, including to the eyes, after being attacked with hydrochloric acid by a complainant. The official, who was severely injured after having hydrochloric acid poured on his face, is currently being transported to a hospital and receiving burn treatment.
A colleague of Mr. A, the public official at Pohang City Hall in Gyeongbuk who was attacked with hydrochloric acid, shared on Facebook on the 17th, "I convey the heart-wrenching feelings experienced by the director’s wife as she cared for him," and shared a post from Mr. A’s family.
In the post, Mr. A’s wife said, "The news of my husband’s accident that day was beyond the word 'bolt from the blue,' a word that cannot capture the magnitude of it," and began, "I prayed and prayed desperately for his eyes to be spared."
She described Mr. A as "someone who valued his workplace more than his home and cared for his staff more than his family, a person for whom his current duties were more important than nursing his wife undergoing recurrent cancer treatment," and expressed her feelings by saying, "There is a responsible officer and a team leader, so why did it have to be my husband? Everything in the world became an object of resentment."
However, she added, "I didn’t even have time to pour out my resentment," and said, "My only thought was to save my husband. After spending several days at the hospital, the anger that felt like it could kill or make me die gradually faded."
The perpetrator went up to the 7th floor of the Pohang City Hall building, approached Mr. A, and sprayed hydrochloric acid from a water bottle. / Photo by Yonhap News
Mr. A’s wife also expressed gratitude for the many people who helped during the incident. She said, "I am thankful to the staff within the department who responded well immediately after the accident, the colleagues who silently helped a lot behind the scenes, and the mayor who rushed to the emergency room," adding, "Seeing the mayor who truly felt heartache, although my husband’s face was distorted, I believe he was probably smiling with his heart."
She continued, "There is still a long road ahead of burn treatment, where even a little pressure causes blood vessels in the burn area to burst, and the path of trauma treatment from the horrific accident, but with the infinite love and support from those cheering us on, he will bravely and calmly undergo treatment," and added, "I dream of the day when he can joyfully and freely spread his wings again doing what he loves."
The incident occurred on the 29th of last month at Pohang City Hall. At that time, the perpetrator secretly went up to the 7th floor of the city hall building, where outside visitors were prohibited, approached Mr. A under the pretext of consultation, and then sprayed a liquid contained in a water bottle.
The liquid was revealed to be hydrochloric acid. The public official who was doused with hydrochloric acid suffered burns to his eyes and other areas and was later transferred to a specialized ophthalmology hospital in Seoul for treatment. Although the injuries Mr. A sustained are not severe enough to cause blindness, he is expected to require about six months of treatment.
The perpetrator, Mr. B, who sprayed hydrochloric acid on Mr. A, was arrested by the police on the 31st of last month on charges of special obstruction of official duties causing injury.
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