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🇰🇷 South Korea /Culture & Society

Memorial Service Held for Slain High School Student Lee Chae-won

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified In the courts
  • A memorial service was held for Lee Chae-won, a high school student who died tragically.
  • Family, teachers, and friends remembered her as a bright, positive individual who dreamed of becoming an emergency rescue worker.
  • Officials, including the Minister of Gender Equality and Family, attended the service, vowing to prevent similar tragedies.

A poignant memorial service was held Saturday for Lee Chae-won, a 16-year-old high school student who lost her life tragically. The ceremony, marking 49 days since her passing, took place at the Gwangju Metropolitan City Education Office's Citizen Cooperation Promotion Center.

You were always there when I turned my head, even if we were in different seats... Seeing that seat empty now makes me feel hollow, and for a while, I couldn't help but cry just looking at it.

— Kim Na-hyun, friendRecalling their shared classes and the void left by Lee's death.

Her mother, weeping, asked attendees to remember Chae-won not for the tragic circumstances of her death, but for her warm, bright spirit and her desire to help others. Teachers recalled her as a student who always wore her uniform neatly, greeted everyone with a smile, and thoughtfully considered others, even offering to buy a teacher's sports day uniform. One teacher expressed deep sorrow, stating, "We could not protect such a Chae-won."

I remember Chae-won as a child who wore her uniform neatly, always greeted me with a bright smile when we passed in the hallway, and even offered to buy my sports day uniform when everyone else was focused on their own.

— Lee Chae-won's teacherDescribing Lee's thoughtful and positive nature.

Friends shared heartfelt memories, with one classmate reading a letter describing the emptiness left by Chae-won's absence. Firefighters posthumously awarded her an honorary firefighter certificate, recognizing her dream of becoming an emergency rescue worker and her compassionate spirit. Minister of Gender Equality and Family Won Min-kyung and local lawmakers attended, expressing profound responsibility and pledging to work with relevant agencies to prevent future tragedies.

We could not protect such a Chae-won.

— Lee Chae-won's teacherExpressing grief and regret over the inability to save her.

The court is scheduled to hold its first hearing on July 22 for the suspect, Jang Yun-gi, 23, who is accused of kidnapping and murder. Prosecutors allege that on June 5, Jang attempted to sexually assault and abduct Lee on a pedestrian path before fatally stabbing her when his attempt failed.

We feel a heavy sense of responsibility in the face of a reality where we could not protect student Chae-won. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family is taking this incident very seriously and will do its best with relevant agencies to prevent harm.

— Won Min-kyung, Minister of Gender Equality and FamilyPledging action to prevent similar incidents.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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