[Report] "A Father of Three Kind and Honest Children"... Bereaved Families Tearful in Shock

Crying in Grief at the Funeral Hall of Yeongdeungpo Hospital

"He was a kind and diligent nephew. He was just good at everything."

At around 11 a.m. on the 2nd, the bereaved family entering the Yeongdeungpo Hospital funeral hall in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, barely managed to speak through tearful voices. The couple, who hurriedly came up from Chuncheon, Gangwon-do, after hearing about their nephew's accident at 3 a.m., described their nephew, who worked at a bank, as endlessly kind and diligent. He was the head of a family with three children?high school and middle school students?and a reliable husband. The couple said, "We lived with our nephew for several years. You could say we raised him together," adding, "The body was so severely damaged that we couldn't even identify it," as their eyes welled up.

On the 2nd, the Yeongdeungpo Hospital funeral hall in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, is crowded with reporters.
[Photo by Lee Seohee]

That morning, the bereaved family visited the funeral hall, unable to hide their shock. According to the police and fire authorities, at 9:27 p.m. the previous day, Mr. A (68), driving a Genesis vehicle, drove in the wrong direction on Sejong-daero 18-gil near City Hall Station (a four-lane road) and struck pedestrians. The accident resulted in 9 deaths and 6 injuries (1 serious, 5 minor). Among the deceased were bank employees, city hall staff, and hospital workers.

Colleagues at the bank, where four employees died simultaneously in this accident, visited the funeral hall early in the morning with heavy expressions. Mr. B, who identified himself as a coworker of the deceased, said, "Yesterday happened to be the day of personnel changes. I didn't expect the damage to be this severe," adding, "We have to wait for the autopsy results, but my feelings are very heavy."

In addition, the deceased’s younger sibling, cousins, and coworkers visited the funeral hall with solemn faces. Mr. C, who identified himself as the deceased’s younger sibling, said, "(He) was working as a manager at a nearby company," before quickly leaving the scene.

Currently, the Namdaemun Police Station in Seoul is investigating the circumstances of the accident through analysis of black box and CCTV footage. The side of Mr. A, who caused the accident, is reportedly claiming sudden unintended acceleration. The man is hospitalized in a Seoul city hospital with a diagnosis of fractured ribs.