Gwangju Bukbu Police Station
Gwangju Bukbu Police Station

A teenager living in a child welfare facility died after falling from an apartment building in Gwangju, according to local media reports Wednesday.

Gwangju Bukbu Police Station said the teenager fell from the rooftop of an apartment around 9:10 a.m. Monday. He was taken to a hospital where he later died.

The boy had lived in a child orphanage in the northern part of the city since 2023. Police said he left the center Monday morning, telling staff he was going to school, before heading to the apartment rooftop.

A note left on the roof read: “The punishment for breaking the rules is too difficult. I'm sorry, Mom.”

The day before, a staff member reportedly confiscated his phone after finding him using it past 10 p.m., in violation of the center’s rules.

Police are investigating the circumstances of the death and questioning staff members at the facility.

If you are having thoughts of suicide, contact South Korea's Suicide Crisis hotline at 109. For foreign language assistance to connect with mental health professionals, call Danuri Portal's helpline at 1577-1366.


shinjh@heraldcorp.com