[News in Books] A Survivor's Harrowing Account

The Story Told by 'Sampung Survivors' to Those Living After the Tragedy

"Why did those people die, and why did I survive?"

A survivor of the Sampoong Department Store collapse on June 29, 1995. For him, life after the disaster was a process of seeking answers to this question. In the massive tragedy that resulted in 502 deaths, 937 injuries, and 6 missing persons, why did some die while others survived? There was no context or narrative that determined people's fate that day. Everything happened in the blink of an eye simply because someone was standing there, or because they were not.

For Lee Seon-min (pen name Sanman Unni), who was 20 years old at the time of the accident, this fact was shocking. The incomprehensible deaths and survival marked the "beginning of misfortune." Returning to life before the disaster was impossible. Witnessing people die in an instant and everything vanish like dust before his eyes, he lost the meaning of living. He thought, "Life is uncertain, so what’s the point of trying hard?" He rarely spoke about that day, which reminded him of his misfortune, and tried to forget and bury the memories. However, the more he tried, the clearer the memories became, always bringing him back to the place where the building collapsed. Trauma (psychological injury) suddenly struck ten years after the disaster. The book is a harrowing record of a survivor who lost peaceful daily life after the tragedy.

Overcoming Trauma and Learning to Speak of 'Misfortune'

Extreme depressive symptoms, sleepless nights lasting several days, a suffocating feeling as if the heart would burst, and depression are aftereffects of the accident. However, the author did not tell anyone for a long time that he was experiencing trauma. He did not go to the hospital either. He believed no one could understand the pain he was going through. Unless science and technology advance to the point where people can share each other's brains, it is impossible to fully understand someone else's suffering.

The decisive trigger for him to confront his inner pain and decide to speak out was the Sewol Ferry disaster. Unfortunately, similar tragedies have repeated several times since the Sampoong Department Store collapse. According to the author, in the case of the Sampoong collapse, the truth was quickly investigated immediately after the accident, then-President Kim Young-sam issued a public apology, and the investigation of causes and punishment of those responsible proceeded swiftly. Although trauma from the disaster cannot be compensated by anything, the government paid compensation as promised. Nevertheless, the trauma tormented the author for a long time.

How much has it changed since then? The author points out that when similar tragedies occurred afterward, apologies from those responsible became increasingly stingy, even appearing to try to downplay their responsibility. Especially in the case of the Sewol Ferry disaster, punishment of those involved and truth-finding were not properly carried out. There were even shameless insults and mockery directed at the bereaved families suffering unspeakable pain. The author says he cannot forget the faces of those who, while the Sewol families were fasting for over 40 days demanding truth, were having "binge protests" eating chicken and pizza in front of them.

At some point, the author realized that "the world becomes as unhappy as the silence of survivors." He resolved to speak about his life after the disaster. Although incomprehensible things often happen in the world, it was the help of others that pulled him out of that pain. He recalls the lady who barely escaped the collapsed building with him, covered in blood, and took him and his friend to the hospital in her car.

The author says that although the times and places of disasters differ, the essence of the accidents is similar in that illegal extensions and renovations, licensing issues, and safety negligence are cited as causes. The fact that innocent victims occurred due to these causes shows that there are invisible cracks existing in our society. Talking about disasters remains difficult and painful, but if it can help to mend even a little of our society’s fractures, the author calmly says he is willing to share his misfortune as many times as needed.