How a close friend of labor activist Jeon Tae-il keeps his legacy alive
Choi Jong-in, 78, still aches for his friend Jeon Tae-il, who was just 22. When Jeon set himself on fire in the middle of Pyeonghwa Market in Seoul's Jung District on Nov. 13, 1970, Choi was the first to rush to his side, taking off his jacket to smother the flames. “His hair was burning and curling like nylon fabric, his lips were turning inside out, but he sprang back to his feet and shouted,…
Choi Jong-in, a 78-year-old friend of labor activist Jeon Tae-il, still feels the pain of his late friend who was just 22 when he set himself on fire in Seoul's Pyeonghwa Market on November 13, 1970. Choi was the first to rush to Jeon's side, smothering the flames with his jacket. Despite the passage of half a century, the incident lingers in Choi's memory.
He finds it difficult to recount the event, his voice wavering at the mere thought. Choi's reluctance to speak about Jeon stems from his deep guilt, which he fears would only cause more pain to Jeon's mother, the late Lee So-sun. It wasn't until Lee passed away in 2011 that Choi felt he could begin to share his story, finding solace in turning his sorrow into a tribute to Jeon's legacy as the chairman of the Samdong Friendship Association.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
