"She Must Have Lived So Diligently"... Traces of a Young Life Left Behind in Belongings [2025 Unclaimed Deaths Report ③]

Visiting the Scene of a Young Person's Estate Organization
Alone in Life and Death... No Family Left Behind
Kindergarten Teacher Remembered by Children's Letters
Over 100 Unaccompanied Deaths Under 40 Each Year

"How lonely you must have been. I hope you find peace and rest in a better place."

Antidepressants that the deceased took during their lifetime are accumulated. Photo by Seungwook Park

At 7:30 a.m. on November 29, in a villa in Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, Yoon Jeongseop, CEO of the estate organization company Charisma (age 50), opened a tightly closed door and, as if accustomed, opened the window first. He then set up a simple altar by unfolding a desk and poured soju into a paper cup to honor the spirit of the deceased. The deceased was a woman in her twenties with no known family, discovered by the landlord a week after her death. The police and local authorities verified her identity and searched extensively, but no family members were found.

That day, CEO Yoon organized the belongings by sorting clothes, scrap metal, and other items into sacks. Items and documents containing the deceased's personal information were set aside. In the refrigerator, there were containers from delivery food such as tteokbokki and fried chicken, which the deceased seemed to have enjoyed during her lifetime. The kitchen drawer contained canned ham and instant rice, among other ready-to-eat meals. There was almost no evidence of home-cooked meals. A bottle of cooking oil found in a corner had expired more than a year ago.

Yoon Jeongseop, CEO of the estate organization company "Charisma," aged 50, is creating a simple altar to honor the spirit of the deceased. Photo by Seungwook Park

The deceased appeared to have been a young woman who lived her life diligently. In the album found during the organization, there were various certificates, including a teaching certificate, a caregiver certificate, and a nursing assistant certificate. After graduating from college on her own, she worked as a kindergarten teacher until earlier this year. On the back pages of the album were letters from children she taught, with messages such as, "Thank you, teacher, for always being so kind and having a beautiful smile."

Although she was a beloved teacher to the children, she was completely alone at home. On the kitchen shelf, there were envelopes of antidepressants that had to be taken morning and evening. CEO Yoon remarked, "Whenever I clean up the rooms of young people who have passed away alone, I always find antidepressants," and added, "The deceased must have endured her pain in solitude, with no family to confide in."

Photo by Seungwook Park is organizing the belongings of the deceased at their home.

There was also evidence that she had recently been receiving unemployment benefits and searching for a job. On a note on her desk, she had written resolutions for a fresh start, such as "sense of challenge, responsibility, look for school-linked education."

On the veranda, laundry that had been hung out to dry some time ago remained untouched, mostly pajamas. While organizing her clothes, dozens of pajamas were found. Near the end of the process, a small note was discovered with the words "Mother's name: ○○○, Mother's address: ○○○" written in tiny letters. Although her family status was listed as "none" in the resident registration, she had apparently found out and carefully recorded her birth mother's information during her lifetime. It was unclear whether she had ever met her mother.

Notes that the deceased seemed to have written during their lifetime for a comeback. Photo by Seungwook Park

According to data from 229 local governments nationwide, the number of people under 40 who died with no known family increased sharply from 68 in 2016 to 114 in 2020, and has remained in the 100s since then. Last year, 116 people died alone, and from January to May this year, 48 people passed away in solitude. Among these, about 30% had no family or acquaintances at all. In 2021, the figure was 32.9% (28 out of 85), in 2022, 34.0% (32 out of 94), in 2023, 31.1% (33 out of 106), last year, 29.6% (29 out of 98), and from January to May this year, 35.7% (15 out of 42). Every year, dozens of people die alone.

If you are struggling with depression or difficult thoughts, or if you know someone who is, you can receive 24-hour professional counseling through the suicide prevention hotline at ☎109 or the suicide prevention SNS counseling service 'Madeleine'.