2023-06-01 07:10:00
(Above) Victims of charter fraud on the edge of a cliff
“We should get together for good things, but what do we do when we keep meeting like this?”
Six victims of charter fraud in A apartment in Michuhol-gu, Incheon visited a funeral home in Incheon at 8:00 pm on the 25th of last month. It was to pay condolences to the victim of the Incheon charter scam who died the fourth time the day before. Those who exchanged greetings at the funeral hall dressed in dark clothes did not look unfamiliar to each other.
“I went through the same thing, so I came here because it doesn’t feel like someone else’s.” Those who have not met the deceased are neighbors of the apartment where the victim of charter fraud lived for the third time last April. The 49 ashes of the neighbor who left earlier are approaching on the 4th, and they are facing another death.
While Shin Jeong-seon (pseudonym) was working at a company, she came across an article regarding the death of the 4th victim of charter fraud in Incheon in an apartment group chat room. “Could it be that someone else died in our apartment?” When apartment A appeared on the data screen in the news of the obituary, the concerns of Mr. Shin and the residents grew. He later found out that it had happened in another apartment, but his worries didn’t go away. Shin said, “I thought it might be my turn next.”
Victims of charter fraud are experiencing serious trauma as they witness the deaths one following another. In the case of Mr. Shin, he might not hide his sadness and anxiety over the repeated tragedies that occurred in the same region and among the same victims. The same goes for Mr. Shin’s daughter. Whenever an apartment in Michuhol-gu appears on the news, Shin gets a call from her daughter asking if her parents are okay. Mr. Shin said, “I don’t know when this situation will end, and I’m worried that people in the same apartment who rely on each other will be auctioned off and it will be harder to catch up if they leave one or two houses.”
“I want to stop coming to this place.” The eyes of Kim Byeong-ryeol, vice chairman of the Charter Fraud Countermeasures Committee, who was sitting next to Shin, were bloodshot red. In the meantime, he has been busy with the countermeasures committee and reported the damage of the charter fraud. Vice-Chairman Kim said, “To prevent such an extreme choice, I also wore a matching T-shirt that read, ‘It’s not your fault to be a victim of charter fraud,’ but another victim came out and asked what to do.”
“I’m going to write a real long will today.” To Vice Chairman Kim’s words, Mr. Shin, who was next to him, said, “Just try not to write it.” The desperation of those who had to hold each other on the edge of a cliff in this way was evident throughout the conversation.
“There should be no next victim. On the other hand, I am very afraid that it will come out once more.” Lee Hee-jin (pseudonym) has a habit of being startled whenever she hears the sound of a siren following the third death in the same apartment building. She lies down to sleep, but when she hears an ambulance siren outside, she opens the window, checks which direction the car is heading, and refreshes the news on her cell phone. “All I can think of in my head is, ‘No way, no way,’” she says. Just in case once more…” Ms. Lee, who mightn’t continue her words, blushed her eyes.
The cell phone of Ko Yong-hyeon (pseudonym), whose house won the auction, rang repeatedly at the funeral home as the phone of the successful bidder. After Mr. Ko goes to work, the successful bidder comes to his house and rings the doorbell, so his wife and little daughter spend each day in fear. Residents and victims belonging to the Michuhol-gu Charter Fraud Countermeasures Committee (countermeasure committee) stayed at the mortuary until late at night talking regarding what to do in this situation.
Seven members of the countermeasures committee, including Mr. Kim and Mr. Ahn Sang-mi, accompanied the deceased until the end of the way from the funeral the next morning to the crematorium at Incheon Family Park. I had no time to close my eyes because I went back and forth between the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, where the victims’ camp is located, and Incheon every day.
Since the first death occurred in Michuhol-gu in February, this is the fourth time they have visited the Incheon Family Park crematorium. In order to prevent further deaths, they shouted in front of the Yongsan Presidential Office and the Yeouido National Assembly to come up with countermeasures, but the victims’ power alone was not enough. At the funeral home of the deceased, they heard the news that the special law on charter fraud prepared by the government had passed the plenary session of the National Assembly. The ‘first, second guess’ plan that the victims have been requesting has been omitted, and the way to get back the deposit money accumulated over a lifetime has disappeared. Even though it was a social disaster, the countermeasure was personal. Mr. Kim, who transported the deceased, said, “I feel like I have only two options: to die and to rehabilitate myself.”
Those who remained at the crematorium leaned on each other’s shoulders and shed tears. Those who said in unison, “I don’t want to come here anymore,” mightn’t return home even following gathering their hearts. Mr. Ahn went to the government level to demand additional measures and a meeting with the president, while others turned to work and countermeasures meetings.
1685617020
#tragedy #left #trauma #잃어버린 #집 #타버린 #마음