Local media outlets on Friday reported the story of a Yeongyang-gun resident who helped evacuate people from his village but was unable to save his own elderly mother in the devastating fires that have killed 28 as of this morning.
The fire in Yeongyang-gun, North Gyeongsang Province, reached the man's village at around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday. He took his mother, who was over 90 years old, to a neighbor's house and told them to evacuate as quickly as possible.
Instead of fleeing himself, he returned to the town hall to alert the village chief, while going door to door telling people to get to safety. He left the village late that day, driving five other residents who did not own a car.
But when he went to the nearby elementary school — the designated evacuation spot for his village — he found that his mother had not made it there. He returned to the village, but finding it completely engulfed by flames, his frantic attempt to enter was thwarted by police and firefighters.
His mother's body was found later.
Although his actions are being touted as heroic, the man told local Yonhap News Agency that he will "regret not taking care of (his) mother for the rest of (his) life." He said he felt like jumping into the flames where his mother's body lay, but said he did not want to blame anyone else.
"All I want to do right now is hold a funeral as soon as possible so my mother can rest in peace," he was quoted as saying.
The largest wildfires in Korea's history have been ravaging the country's southeast, killing at least 28 and injuring 32 as of Friday morning. A total of 37,829 people have been displaced, as firefighters continue working to contain the fires in North Gyeongsang Province.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
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