Use of Photos Showing Bleeding Corpses While Announcing Restricted Areas
There is controversy over the use of graphic photos of a bleeding fall death victim on a no-entry zone sign installed in Seoraksan National Park.
According to a report by Chosun.com on the 17th, the Seoraksan National Park Office used two photos that appear to show a fall accident on a sign installed near Towangseong Waterfall on a mountain trail, indicating that the area is a no-entry zone. The top of the sign reads, "Wait! Are you sure you want to go even after seeing this?" suggesting that the photos were used as a kind of "shock therapy" to strongly warn people not to use this area, which is not an official climbing route.
The National Park Office posted two photos below the message, "This area is currently a no-entry zone. It is a very dangerous area where safety accidents occur continuously every year."
The individuals in the photos, presumed to be hikers, are shown collapsed on dirt and large rocks, with limbs bent unnaturally and bloodstains clearly visible around them. The photos were not mosaicked or otherwise obscured. At the bottom of the photos, the text reads, "Hiking at the risk of your life brings misfortune to your family. Please use the official trails."
The section where the no-entry sign is posted is not accessible to general hikers but only to authorized rock climbers who have obtained prior permission from the National Park. This area, used as a rock climbing route in normal seasons and an ice climbing route in winter, has reportedly seen fatal falls.
No-entry zone sign installed in Seoraksan National Park. A photo of a body from a fall accident was used without mosaic, but Chosun.com applied mosaic to it. [Image source=Monthly San]
Reactions to the sign are mixed. A hiker identified as A told Chosun.com, "I saw this warning sign when I visited Seoraksan in June. These warnings are posted in many places. While the intention is to warn because the area is very dangerous, I thought the photos were too graphic." There is also an opinion that if the photos were used without prior consent from the bereaved families, it would be problematic due to the explicit exposure of the deceased. On the other hand, some argue that to prevent people from entering dangerous places, photos of this level of severity are necessary, similar to cigarette warning labels.
Meanwhile, data submitted to the National Assembly’s Environment and Labor Committee member Lim Eija of the People Power Party from the Korea National Park Service shows that from 2018 to last month, there were 73 deaths and 697 injuries among national park visitors, totaling 770 casualties.
Over the past five years, the national park with the highest number of deaths was Seoraksan with 25 fatalities, followed by Bukhansan (19), Jirisan (8), Deogyusan (4), and Mudeungsan (3). The leading cause of death was sudden cardiac arrest with 32 cases, followed by 30 fall deaths. There were also 9 drowning cases and 2 others.
The national park with the highest number of injuries was Bukhansan (342), followed by Seoraksan (122), Mudeungsan (47), Jirisan (43), and Deogyusan (19).
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