Suicides in Suwon are wake-up call, says Yoon Suk-yeol

Social Affairs

Published: 23 Aug. 2022, 18:39

Suicides in Suwon are wake-up call, says Yoon Suk-yeol

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo holds a video conference to discuss measures to respond to the recent suicide of a mother and her daughters in Suwon at the government complex in Sejong Tuesday. [NEWS1]

President Yoon Suk-yeol admitted something has to be done to prevent tragedies like the suicides of a mother and two daughters in Suwon who were sick and too poor to get help.

"Special measures are needed for those who live in places where the welfare information system is not working properly," Yoon told reporters Tuesday at the Yongsan presidential office.

"The central government will create a system that can find and take care of such people," he continued, "and as president, I will pay special attention to struggling citizens and cooperate with local governments to ensure that such incidents do not occur again."

The government later held an emergency meeting to address such measures.

On Sunday, police found a mother and two grown daughters dead in their apartment in Suwon, Gyeonggi, in what appeared to be suicide. They were debt-ridden and suffered from chronic illnesses.

Police discovered the decomposing bodies of the mother in her 60s and two daughters in their 40s after receiving complaints about a foul smell from neighbors.

They lived in a one-room apartment, and fell behind on their monthly rent of 400,000 won ($297). They paid a deposit of 3 million won on the apartment.

The mother left a suicide note that described financial difficulties due to their health problems. The widowed woman suffered from cancer and her daughters reportedly had incurable diseases.

The note's last line read: "I am sorry."

The women didn't receive welfare benefits that they should have been entitled to and never applied for the basic livelihood security program with local authorities. They had no contact with neighbors and didn't register their new address after moving into the apartment in 2020.

The Suwon deaths were particularly haunting because a similar incident occurred eight years ago to a mother and two daughters in Songpa District, southeastern Seoul.

In February 2014, a 61-year-old woman and her two daughters in their 30s were found dead in their rental home in apparent suicide. They left behind an envelope containing 700,000 won to pay their final rent and utility bills and a note saying, "I am sorry."

They likewise hadn't received any welfare benefits.

President Yoon Suk-yeol speaks on the Suwon family deaths Tuesday morning at the presidential office in Yongsan, central Seoul. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

"Welfare is the foundation of freedom and solidarity," Yoon told reporters Tuesday. "I would like to say to the public that I will pursue welfare for the weak rather than welfare for the sake of politics, and I will find those who are vulnerable and can't express their difficulties."

Yoon is still trying to find a health and welfare minister after two previous appointees gave up their nominations.

On Tuesday afternoon, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo presided over an emergency meeting on the Suwon deaths and urged the government to work on blind spots in the welfare system.

"There was an unfortunate situation this time in which welfare services could not be delivered because their residential address was not identified despite their being a household in crisis," said Han. "The reality is that there are still many cases in which people aren't able to receive welfare services because they are not aware of them."

He ordered agencies to "come up with a plan to further strengthen the national responsibility to protect families in crises by gathering opinions from experts and local governments."

Han added, "There should never be such a heartbreaking incident again."

Kim Eun-hye, the new presidential senior secretary for press affairs, said in a press briefing Tuesday, "People should not be deprived of their right to enjoy fair opportunities depending on where they live or their income level."

Gyeonggi Gov. Kim Dong-yeon called for hotlines to directly connect needy people to the governor to help prevent the recurrence of such a tragedy.

In a Facebook post Tuesday, Kim wrote, "We will find a practical way to operate a hotline where residents driven to the edge can directly communicate with the governor."

Referring to the Suwon tragedy, he wrote, "I can only imagine the loneliness and despair the three women must have felt for the past year when they were cut off from contact with their neighbors, relatives and welfare authorities."

As Gyeonggi governor, he said he felt "guilt" when thinking the Suwon family had no one to reach out to and suggested the hotline could be a way to make himself available.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]