Seoulscapade

Thursday, Aug. 2:

My wife’s best friend’s sister-in-law committed suicide this morning. She opted for the method I discussed in my earlier post, the ever-popular leaping from an apartment balcony.

The news was relayed to me by my wife over Google chat in the early afternoon. Initially it was only that she had mysteriously died. And the husband couldn’t be contacted, so we knew the news before he did.

It’s a hard blow because the family are not wealthy. The husband works in the construction industry, and continues to work despite a cast of some kind on his leg. It’s possible he’s on a job out of town at the moment.

That may have contributed to the wife’s decision, for perhaps she simply couldn’t cope on her own any more. The latest I’ve heard is that police have adjudged from some items they read that she was suffering from depression.

She jumped at around 6am, thankfully not taking the children with her, as has happened in other cases. The children were still sleeping.

One of them is a girl in middle school, whose friends are from wealthier families, and who is known to insist on attending the extra curricula activities her friends do. That would have exacerbated any money worries because education—inside or outside of school—isn’t cheap in Korea.

Her life will never be the same, and perhaps her friends won’t be, either.

Friday, Aug 3:

The husband still can’t be contacted and a missing person’s report has been filed with the police. Rumour has it that he went to hospital, but that was not true. He also hasn’t turned up for work. Things are looking suspicious, if you ask me.

However, police are saying that no crime is involved.

Saturday, Aug. 4:

It seems that finally the brother has been contacted. He’s been working in Daegu. Why his phone was turned off is anyone’s guess.