Tragedy strikes immigrant celebrity
This file photo shows Jasmine Ba, right, with her family: Left to right, son Seung-geun, husband Lee Dong-ho and daughter Seung-yeon. [JoongAng Ilbo]
Jasmine Ba, 33, an activist, TV personality and icon for multicultural families here, suffered a tragedy Sunday when her husband Lee Dong-ho died of a heart attack while rescuing his daughter from a mountain stream.
The entire extended family was on a three-day trip to enjoy the mountain scenery in Okcheon-dong, Gangwon. Lee and Ba were buying fishing gear when Lee saw their daughter Seung-yeon flailing in a deep section of a stream. Lee dove in, reportedly pushing his daughter onto an inner tube before being swept away. It was later revealed that he had suffered a heart attack. A bystander pulled Seung-yeon to safety.
Ba first met Lee in 1994 as a student at Ateneo de Manila University near Davao on the island of Mindanao, where she was the lead singer in a school band. Known for her looks, Ba ranked third in the preliminaries for Miss Philippines. Lee was a sailor who happened upon the store that Jasmine’s parents owned in Davao. They said it was love at first sight. Although Ba had to drop out of college when she became pregnant with her son, Seung-geun, at the age of 19, she said she has few regrets about leaving home in 1995 to live with her husband here.
Since moving to Korea, she has worked to bring attention to the problems of immigrant women by appearing on television programs such as KBS’s “Love in Asia” and EBS’s “Korean for Foreigners.” She came close to being nominated as a candidate for the Seoul Metropolitan Council by the Grand National Party during the June regional elections.
Lee’s body was taken to Severance Hospital in Seoul. Ba cried uncontrollably upon seeing her husband’s body, while Seung-geun tried to hold back tears and spoke of how he regretted talking back to his father. “I don’t know why I did that,” the boy said. “It’s driving me crazy.”
Through Ba’s career as an actress, politician and professional translator for documentaries, Lee was always by her side. Lee had said he felt sorry for his wife who came to a foreign land at a young age. Although he joked about her busy schedule, he said, “Letting her do what she wants is the best I can do.”
By Kang In-sik [enational@joongang.co.kr]
Related Korean Article
한·필리핀 ‘띠동갑 순애보’ 남편, 영월 가족 피서지서 급류에 빠진 딸 구하고 익사
9일 서울 신촌세브란스병원에 이동호(45·서울 연희동)씨의 장례식장이 차려져 있었다. 3일장(葬)의 둘째 날이었다. 동호씨의 아내는 ‘자스민 이(李)’(33)씨다. 그는 아들 승근이(14), 딸 승연이(11)와 함께 있었다. 자스민은 말을 붙이기 어려울 정도로 많이 울었다.
이동호씨는 8일 오전 10시10분쯤 강원도 영월군 김삿갓면 진별리 인근 옥천동에서 급류에 휩쓸린 딸 승연이를 구하려고 뛰어들었다가 3m 깊이의 물에 빠져 숨졌다. 사인은 심장마비. 아내인 자스민은 필리핀 출신이다. 지난 지방선거 때 광역 비례대표로 거론될 정도로 재능 있는 여성이다. 본지는 그녀의 삶과 이주여성에 대한 편견을 두 차례에 걸쳐 다뤘다.
한글 기사 보기
한·필리핀 ‘띠동갑 순애보’ 남편, 영월 가족 피서지서 급류에 빠진 딸 구하고 익사
9일 서울 신촌세브란스병원에 이동호(45·서울 연희동)씨의 장례식장이 차려져 있었다. 3일장(葬)의 둘째 날이었다. 동호씨의 아내는 ‘자스민 이(李)’(33)씨다. 그는 아들 승근이(14), 딸 승연이(11)와 함께 있었다. 자스민은 말을 붙이기 어려울 정도로 많이 울었다.
이동호씨는 8일 오전 10시10분쯤 강원도 영월군 김삿갓면 진별리 인근 옥천동에서 급류에 휩쓸린 딸 승연이를 구하려고 뛰어들었다가 3m 깊이의 물에 빠져 숨졌다. 사인은 심장마비. 아내인 자스민은 필리핀 출신이다. 지난 지방선거 때 광역 비례대표로 거론될 정도로 재능 있는 여성이다. 본지는 그녀의 삶과 이주여성에 대한 편견을 두 차례에 걸쳐 다뤘다.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.
Standards Board Policy (0/250자)