Grandmother's Cell Phone Filled with Granddaughter's Photos... Memorial Procession for "A Flower That Never Bloomed"

At the entrance of Suyeong Paldo Market in Suyeong-gu, Busan, where a car crash on the 24th took the lives of a grandmother and her granddaughter, citizens have voluntarily gathered various memorial items such as chrysanthemums, dolls, scarves, and snacks, forming a large heart shape.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] "Merry Christmas, wishing a world without accidents filled only with happiness"

A wave of mourning continues for a woman in her 60s and her 18-month-old granddaughter who were killed after being hit by a suddenly rushing passenger car.

On the 24th, citizens placed handwritten letters, dolls, drinks, and snacks at one side of the entrance to Busan Suyeong Paldo Market, the accident site, to pay tribute to the deceased grandmother and granddaughter.

The memorial items included messages such as "To the baby angel and grandmother, wishing a world without accidents filled only with happiness," and "Merry Christmas, to a good place without accidents."

Ahn Cheol-soo, the presidential candidate of the People’s Party, also visited the accident site that day to lay flowers and pay respects. Candidate Ahn quietly bowed his head in silence without giving interviews to the media or meeting citizens at the market, then left the scene.

A spokesperson from Ahn Cheol-soo’s presidential campaign said, "Hearing the heartbreaking news of the accident in my hometown Busan, I came to pay my respects."

According to the police on the same day, it was reported that the grandmother’s cellphone found at the accident site was filled with photos of her 18-month-old granddaughter, adding to the sorrow.

Earlier, around 1 p.m. on the 22nd, a woman in her 60s and her 18-month-old granddaughter who had visited Suyeong Paldo Market were hit and killed by a suddenly rushing vehicle.

At the time, the grandmother was carrying her granddaughter in her arms while visiting the traditional market when the tragedy occurred. The grandmother died at the scene, and the granddaughter was severely injured and later died while receiving treatment at the hospital.

The grandmother, who lived in Gyeonggi Province, had come down to Busan to see her granddaughter after a long time, which deepened the sorrow.

Meanwhile, the driver of the accident vehicle, an 80-year-old Mr. A, is reportedly claiming sudden unintended acceleration, saying "the car suddenly surged forward."

The police are investigating the circumstances of the accident by securing the vehicle’s black box footage and other evidence.