Losing Homes, Losing Families... People for Whom Chuseok Brings Deeper Pain

Chuseok is a time when families gather to share affection and warmth. However, for some, the holiday is a stark reminder of shattered routines and empty spaces left by loved ones. In mid-August, torrential rains of a scale seen once every 100 to 200 years lashed the Geoje and Tongyeong regions in South Gyeongsang Province. Eun-jin, a resident of Gonri Island in Tongyeong, is at risk of losing the home she has lived in for nearly 30 years since her marriage due to the recent downpours. Although she managed to evacuate quickly, preventing casualties, she remains barred from entering her house because of the risk of secondary collapses. Min-su (an assumed name), who runs a minbak (guest house) in the village, also went through a harrowing moment. A retaining wall behind his house collapsed, burying his mother under a flood of mud in an instant. Narrowly rescued, his mother is currently receiving hospital treatment, while Min-su is also recovering from his own injuries while caring for his mother and repairing the house. Gripped by worry and anxiety over the deep scars left by the water disaster, the residents of Gonri village spent this Chuseok in distress. Some people live forgetting the holiday altogether. Seong-chul, a resident of Gwangju, lost his wife and daughter in the Jeju Air passenger plane disaster. Struggling through times so difficult that he quit his job and could not even sleep, Seong-chul suffered another major shock some time ago. Contrary to the government's announcement about half a month after the disaster stating that "99% of wreckage recovery is complete," what appeared to be human remains of the victims were found one after another near the aircraft wreckage and around the airport. Since re-searches began last April, approximately 1,650 pieces of suspected remains have been additionally recovered. Nearly two years after the disaster, with final investigations into the cause of the accident and accountability yet to be carried out, some bereaved families continue to live in tents at the airport to this day.
In June 2024, Lee Soon-hee lost her eldest daughter, who was then 24 years old, in the fire at the Aricel factory in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. It happened not long after her daughter came to Korea, saying she wanted to be close to her parents after graduating from a normal university in China. Soon-hee, whose heart breaks whenever she thinks of her daughter, received another major shock last April. The prison sentence of the CEO of Aricel, who had been sentenced to 15 years in prison for charges including violations of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, was drastically reduced to 4 years in prison in the second trial. With the prosecution appealing, the case is awaiting a ruling by the Supreme Court. For Soon-hee, whose family lost her daughter, holidays disappeared long ago. As the time taken to demand accountability for the disaster drags on, the family's pain deepens day by day.
Lee Young-moon, approaching his eighties, is spending his tenth Chuseok without his son Jae-yong. Jae-yong, who was aboard the Stellar Daisy that sank in the South Atlantic in 2017, was a particularly precious child born after three daughters. Two years after the accident, the government's first deep-sea search was conducted, and the hull, voyage data recorder, and objects presumed to be human remains were discovered, but the recovery of remains ultimately failed. In the meantime, nearly 10 years have passed, and the family members are watching related trials and procedures while demanding the truth about the cause and accountability. With tears in her eyes, the mother expressed her wish to recover her son's remains and hold a funeral for him as soon as possible. People who have lost their livelihoods, beloved families, and even ordinary daily lives. Enduring a long and difficult time, they demand restoration, searching operations, thorough accountability, and measures to prevent recurrence.

This week on SBS News Story, in observation of the traditional holiday of Chuseok, we listen to the stories of those spending arduous times following disasters and tragedies, and examine the tasks our society must steadfastly address so that the victims can resume their daily lives.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.