Topic awaiting preservation: Korean Subway Calamity

What's the world turning into? It's one thing after another. Suho, you doing all right?

edit: Doing all right in the "living in the middle of a fireworks bin" sense, not in the "were you on the train, even though you live in a completely different city" sense.

[This message has been edited by Perfect Thunder (edited 02-19-2003).]

Yeah, I'm OK... shaken, but OK. At the gym this morning most of the news was about the incident. They were playing calls to 119 (Korean version of 911) by people trapped in the subway... I was trying not to listen but it was on all the stations. Just about everyone in Korea has cell phones, and everyone in the subway cars was calling either 119 or their loved ones to say goodbye...

"Mom, there's a fire in the subway car!"
"Yeong-a, you have to pull yourself together!"
"Mom, I can't breathe!"
"Yeong-a, Yeong-a, Yeong-a..."
"I can't breathe enough to talk anymore. Mom, I have to hang up..."
"Yeong-a, please try to think of my face..."
"Mom, I love you."

This conversation was printed in an online article this morning. I don't think I've ever had a harder time translating anything in my entire life.

The article posted by PT seems to match Korean reports, except the part about the death toll not being expected to rise. I just read that police have received 165 missing person reports, so they are expecting the death toll to rise further.

It's times like this that I need to look to God to stay strong. Call it a crutch if you will... I guess it is a crutch, because I sure don't think I can stand on my own right now. At the end of all things as we now know them, the Bible says that "(God) will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away" (Rev. 21:4). All I can say right now is that I'm sick of the death and mourning and crying and pain of this world.

Strangely enough, the older I get the more sensitive I become. Tears always seem to be just below the surface, waiting for something like this to bring them out. Was the world always like this, or do we live in a terrible age?

Then again, it is times like these when things become clearer to me, and I realize again what is important life and what is not so important--and I find that I have spent most of time worrying about the unimportant things and ignoring the important things. After all, what really matters in life? Korean society is highly Confucianist and very strict, but do you think any of that mattered to Yeong-a's mother as she listened to her daughter suffocate to death? Overwhelmingly, the last words spoken by those who died in the subway were "I love you"--spoken to those they were leaving behind. That's what really matters in this life: love and the people you share it with. Everything else means nothing in the end.

Before I posted here today I intended to translate some more from Korean news articles, but I just can't bring myself to do it. I wanted to comment on what the Korean media was saying, but in the face of this tragedy it just doesn't seem that important.

I need to pull myself together, though. There will be much more pain and suffering before the end. I pray beyond hope that God will spare Korea further suffering, but I fear that the road ahead will not be easy. I'm sorry if I'm babbling, but maybe I'm not as OK as I thought I was...

Suho: Your words -"That's what really matters in this life: love and the people you share it with."- hold so much truth... These are words worth sharing, worth studying, , worth understanding ,and most importantly, worth living.

Well said.

I've been following up on this story a bit as well... I was real relieved to hear that it wasn't in Seoul, knowing that you're safe Suho, is nice.

(for your own sake)

[This message has been edited by DL-44 (edited 02-19-2003).]

norm: If that's the only thing you take away from my post... then you've got everything.

InSiDeR: Thanks for the concern, I think. I didn't see your message before it was edited, of course, but I'm willing to give people the benefit of the doubt today. So, thanks for thinking of me.

Well, I guess if it was for my own sake... I trust him, I think.

for the record - I didn't change anything he said, suho - his sentiments for you are his words. I simply removed a 2nd paragraph...I think he understands why =)

I read the story this morning at work...I must admit the first thing that came to my mind was that you were in Seoul...then the rest of it sunk in =(

hard to say anything that really fits the severity of it...

OK... I'll trust your judgment on that. I am touched that you guys were thinking of me, even though I wasn't anywhere near Daegu. I think I'm doing a little better now, but it's still rough. I wish they had turned the television off at the gym. Every time I stop thinking for a moment I'm just flooded with the voices in those final phone calls...

I'm sorry, I think I'm going to have to take a break from this thread for a while. Every time I come in here it all comes back to me and I feel like crying. I just need some time to get over this.

Just thought I'd drop in and say: Current death toll stands at 300

My heart goes out to you, Master Suho, and all those who are directly affected by this...fire is a terrible way to go...


WebShaman

Phew! I'm glad your ok, I read about this yesterday and proceeded to look about the board to see if there were any messages that were more recent, and from you Suho, then the one posted by Perfect Thunder. I feel bad for the people of your country, but I'm glad you're ok.



Maskkkk

- Face the Present