8-Year-Old Kim Haneul Killed by Female Teacher at Daejeon Elementary School
Father's Request for "Jang Wonyoung to Pay Condolences" Sparks Controversy
Cheon Haram: "It Is More Appropriate for the Celebrity Not to Pay Condolences"
"If Something Happens to Me, Will My Idol Come to Pay Condolences?"
"Younger Students Might Develop Misguided Thoughts"
On the 13th, visitors continued to pay their respects at the joint memorial altar set up at an elementary school in Seo-gu, Daejeon, for the late Kim Ha-neul. Photo by Yonhap News
The father of the late Kim Ha-neul (8), who was killed by a female teacher in her 40s at an elementary school in Daejeon, sparked controversy after asking Jang Wonyoung, a member of the group IVE, to pay condolences because his daughter was a fan of hers during her lifetime. Cheon Haram, acting leader and floor leader of the Reform New Party, stated, "I think it is more appropriate that the idol does not pay condolences."
On the 13th, Cheon Haram, floor leader of the Reform New Party, said at the party's supreme council meeting held at the National Assembly, "I understand there are various debates about whether the idol that Ha-neul liked should pay condolences," adding, "It may be presumptuous, but I thought it would be more appropriate if that idol celebrity (Jang Wonyoung) did not pay condolences."
Regarding the reason why Jang Wonyoung should not pay condolences, Cheon said, "It may be an extreme prediction or concern," but added, "There is a possibility, however slight, that lower-grade elementary school children might mistakenly think, 'If something happens to me, will the idol I like come to pay condolences?' So I think we need to be very cautious."
In response to some netizens leaving malicious comments accusing the father of forcing condolences, he appealed, "Can parents who lost an 8-year-old child perfectly meet the expectations of the public and the people? Even if the bereaved family's response is somewhat out of step with public expectations, I ask that you be generous and refrain from malicious comments."
Earlier, Ha-neul's father publicly asked the media to request condolences from Jang Wonyoung. The father said, "Ha-neul always asked me to send her to IVE concerts in Daejeon, and I promised her. Ha-neul's dream was Jang Wonyoung herself," he said, "I know you are busy, but if possible, please come to see Ha-neul once." Upon learning of this request, Starship Entertainment, IVE's agency, sent a condolence wreath with the phrase "Singer IVE. We sincerely pray for the deceased's repose" and photo cards that Ha-neul liked during her lifetime to the funeral hall, expressing their condolences.
However, even afterward, Jang Wonyoung's Instagram was flooded with comments demanding condolences such as "She liked her so much, shouldn't she go?" "Please make sure to attend Ha-neul's funeral," and "I beg you." During this process, controversy arose that Ha-neul's father forced Jang Wonyoung to pay condolences. The father said, "It was a request, not a coercion," and lamented, "It was a father's heart wanting to show Wonyoung, whom the child really liked, now that she has become a star, but seeing articles carelessly written as 'forced condolences controversy' makes it really harder to endure."
Ha-neul was stabbed to death by a female teacher in her 40s with a weapon in a second-floor audiovisual storage room inside an elementary school in Seo-gu, Daejeon, on the 10th. The teacher confessed to the crime and revealed that she had been receiving treatment for depression since 2018 and had returned to work early. The teacher stated during police investigation, "I told the last child leaving that I would give them a book, regardless of which child, and called them to the audiovisual room to commit the crime."
The police plan to further investigate the range of victims the perpetrator selected, the reason for choosing the audiovisual storage room as the crime scene, the teacher's school life after returning to work, and whether the crime was premeditated. They are also considering disclosing the teacher's personal information after consulting with the bereaved family.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
