An elderly man in South Korea, who had spent more than 25 years searching for his missing daughter, tragically died on Monday (26 Aug).
Since 1999, 71-year-old Song Gil-yong tirelessly put up banners all over the country in hopes of finding his daughter, Hye-hee, but never found her.
According to a report on The Korea Times, Song died in a car crash after his vehicle collided with a truck from the opposite lane.
Hye-hee disappeared at the age of 17 on 13 Feb 1999, after getting off a bus near their home in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province at around 10.15pm.
Initially believed to have run away, the police delayed launching an investigation for three days, drawing widespread criticism from the public, wrote The Korea Herald.
Although the bus driver indicated a suspicious man had alighted at the same time as Hye-hee, the suspect was never identified.
Since then, Song dedicated his life to looking for his daughter, putting up banners and inquiring at various child protection facilities.
Source: 사이다 on Naver
Following their daughter’s disappearance, his wife fell into depression and took her own life in 2006.
In February 2014, after the statute of limitations for a potential murder expired, the case was closed without Hye-hee being found.
Despite all these, Song persisted in searching for his daughter, who would be 43 if she were alive today. His efforts led to him incurring a substantial amount of debt, reported The Korea Herald.
In an interview with the media in 2020, Song stated:
After my wife passed away, I gave up the thought of dying and focused solely on finding Hye-hee. I can’t forget her, no matter how hard I try. If I don’t see Hye-hee while I’m alive, I won’t be able to move on even in death. I will search for her, even as a ghost.
Even when his health began to deteriorate recently, he kept his daughter in mind despite suffering from dementia.
National Association for Missing Children and Families Chairman Na Ju-bong recalled Song saying: “If I die first, please make sure to find Hye-hee.”
“It is heartbreaking to see him leave this world without knowing his daughter’s fate,” the chairman added.
Also read: Cleaning staff in Japan find decomposing body of homeowner’s mum, she was missing for 10 years
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Featured image adapted from Yonhap News Agency
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