In Yecheon, Gyeongbuk, where the village was devastated by a landslide, a woman in her 60s who was found dead on the 16th has been confirmed to be the wife of Mr. J, who appeared on MBN's "I Am a Natural Person."
According to the Gyeongbuk Provincial Fire Department and Yonhap News on the 16th, search authorities discovered the body of Ms. A (66), who had been buried, at around 3:45 p.m. in Baekseok-ri, Hyoja-myeon, Yecheon-gun. The authorities stated that the discovery site was about 20 meters away from the house site.
Rescue workers are conducting search operations in Baekseok-ri, Hyoja-myeon, Yecheon-gun, Gyeongbuk, where a large-scale landslide occurred. [Photo by Gyeongbuk Fire Department]
The house where Ms. A and her husband originally lived was completely swept away by the landslide, leaving no trace of its former shape.
On the first day, search authorities found it difficult to enter and conducted manual search operations one by one. On this day, they used heavy equipment such as excavators to overturn the mud in various places, resulting in the discovery of Ms. A.
Ms. A’s husband is Mr. J, who appeared on the cable TV program "I Am a Natural Person" and was well known in the local community. The couple calmly shared their past story, revealing that they had moved their lives to the mountains with great courage after becoming exhausted from city life.
Residents expressed their sorrow in unison upon hearing the news of Ms. A’s death. Mr. J’s whereabouts are still unconfirmed. It is known that his son is staying awake through the night, guarding the site.
The couple went missing for a time after their house was buried by a landslide at 5:16 a.m. on the 15th.
The search authorities said, "There were serious concerns that the search speed was slowing down and that we might not even find the bodies," adding, "We will do our best until the end to find any missing persons who may still be alive."
With the discovery of Ms. A, the death toll in the Gyeongbuk region due to this heavy rain has reached 19, with 8 people still missing.
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