UPDATE 2 (by Robert J. Koehler): Yonhap News is also on the story.
UPDATE: There is an hour-long interview with Stephannie White at SeoulPodcast. It’s well worth a listen. Stephannie provides a very detailed and disturbing account of the whole evening, including concerns about the medical treatment administered to Michael by the responding EMTs and at the hospital. She also describes being watched by plainclothed men during the vigil across the street from the sauna and the customs regarding the police and restitution. Not surprisingly, the US Embassy hasn’t shown much interest. The US consulate in Guangzhou was similarly unhelpful after the suspicious death of Darren Russell.
The front page of the Chosun Ilbo online features a long story on the death of Michael White. The first part of the article details Stephannie’s side of the story. The latter half presents statements from the autopsy pathologist, sauna employees, and the police, most of which appear to counter statements made by Stephannie. I’ve translated only the latter half as Stephannie’s account is already available in English.
들끓는 외국인 여론
스테파니씨는 사건 직후 블로그 등을 통해 마이클군의 죽음을 다른 외국인들에게 알렸다. “아들을 살릴 기회가 많았지만 (모두 놓쳤고) 의문들만 남았다”는 그의 글은 페이스북 등 영향력 있는 블로그를 통해 주한 외국인들 사이에 급속도로 퍼졌다. 글을 읽은 외국인들은 한국에 대한 불만을 쏟아놓고 있다.
“한국의 응급구조체계는 엉망이다” “외국인 범죄는 재빠르게 보도하면서 외국인의 의문사는 뉴스가 안 된다. 한국 아이였어도 이럴까”라는 글들이 올랐다. 한 외국인은 “마이클군이 도움을 청하는 것을 본 한국인들이 ‘광우병에 걸릴까 봐’ 무서워서 도와주지 않았을 것”이라고 비꼬았다.
Swarming Foreign Public Opinions
Stephanie informed other foreigners by posting about the death on blogs. “There were many opportunities to save my son, yet suspicions remain” was written on Facebook and some influential blogs, spreading the news among foreign residents of Korea. Foreigners reading about the story have been pouring out feelings of dissatisfaction with Korea.
“Emergency services are a mess.” “News of crimes committed by foreigners is reported quickly while foreign suspicions are not news. What if this were a Korean child?” Comments like these were written (on blogs). Said one foreigner, “Koreans watching Michael pleading for help probably thought he had Mad Cow and were too scared to help.”
Ouch! Did somebody write that on this blog? Can’t say the media isn’t listening to us.
The story continues by detailing the events of that evening:
당시 남탕에 손님 15명쯤 있어
경찰의 수사 내용과 구급대원의 증언, 부검의를 취재한 결과, 스테파니씨의 주장은 사실과 다른 부분이 적지 않다.
마이클군을 처음 발견한 사람은 R찜질방 직원 현모(37)씨다. 현씨는 이날 오후 11시5분쯤 남탕 청소를 하다 ‘폭포수 안마탕’에 엎드려 있는 마이클군을 봤다. 그러나 양팔을 벌리고 엎드려 있는 모습이 꼭 잠수를 하며 장난을 치는 것 같아 무심코 지나쳤다. 그러다 15분쯤 뒤 다시 그곳으로 왔을 때 마이클군이 여전히 그 자세로 있는 것을 보고 탕 안의 다른 사람들을 불러 급하게 마이클군을 끌어낸 뒤 119에 신고했다.
119구급대는 오후 11시28분 신고를 받고 6분 뒤 찜질방에 도착했다. 응급구조사 2급 자격증이 있는 정성규(32) 소방사 등 3명이 출동했다. 이들은 심실제세동기(전기충격기) 등 장비를 들고 남탕으로 들어갔다. 정 소방사는 “도착했을 때 마이클군은 맥박도 뛰지 않고 호흡도 없었다”며 “기도를 확보해 수동식 인공호흡기로 바람을 2~3차례 불어 넣은 뒤 심폐소생술을 실시했다”고 말했다.
15 people in the Men’s Bath at the Time
After researching the police investigation, the testimony of the rescuers, and the autopsy, [we have found that] there are a number of factual discrepancies in Ms. Stephanie’s claims..
The first person to discover Michael was a 37-year-old sauna employee surnamed Hyeon, who noticed Michael floating upside down with prostrate arms and dismissed it as a prank. Checking again 15 minutes later, she called for others in the sauna and contacted 119.
Emergency personnel arrived at 11:28 PM, six minutes after receiving the call. Carrying a defibrillator and other equipment, Jeong Seong-gyu, 32, and two other EMTs entered the men’s section of the sauna. Seeing that Michael had no pulse and was not breathing, they administered oxygen and attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation 2-3 times reported Jeong.
The post-mortem examiner speaks:
“마이클이 심하게 기침과 구역질을 했을 텐데 아무도 도와주지 않았다”는 것도 근거가 분명치 않다. 부검을 집도한 의사는 “사인은 (익사라고) 분명히 말했겠지만, 다른 말은 의학적 근거가 없는 추정일 뿐”이라고 말했다.
“The basis for the claim that “Michael was probably coughing severely and vomiting, yet no one helped him” is also unclear..”
The sauna employees speculate as to how Michael could have drowned in a room with 15 other people:
당시 탕 안에 있던 사람들이 마이클군의 위급함을 알고도 외면했는지 여부도 확실치 않다. 찜질방 종업원들에 따르면 당시 남탕 안에는 손님이 15명쯤 있었다. 그러나 마이클군이 익사한 ‘폭포수 안마탕’은 오른쪽 끝에 쏙 들어가 있는 구조로 돼 있어, 물 위에 엎드려 있으면 쉽게 눈에 띄지 않는다.
It isn’t certain whether others in the sauna at the time knew of Michael’s distress and looked away. According to sauna employees, there were about 15 people in the sauna at the time. However, But the “waterfall massage bath” where Michael drowned is structurally recessed in the right end; prostrate in the water, he would not have been easily seen.
The police have the last word:
경찰은 “건장한 체격의 소년이 익사했으니 우리도 이유가 궁금하다”면서 “살인 등 모든 가능성을 열어놓고 수사하고 있다”고 말했다.
According to the police, “We’re interested in knowing why a healthy teenager drowned,” adding, “We’re investigating all possibilities, including murder.”
27 Comments
That’s really great. I hope Stephannie gets some answers, and I also hope she finds some comfort from friends around her.
You remain in our thoughts.
Are there any other demonstrations of support scheduled or in the works? I regret missing the vigil outside the embassy because of job application deadlines, but wish I could still pitch in somewhere.
Emergency medical personnel with defibrillators attempted resuscitation? Certainly not the story I heard.
Is the story in the Chosun Ilbo about his death, or is it about foreigners’ resentment of Korea? They sure know creative ways to fuel the fire~
Appreciate the translation. After 4 years, I’ve run out of excuses as to why I can’t do that myself
I don’t read Korean, well I read it, but without comprehension. Therefore I can’t read the article, only your excepts. If what I’m reading is an approximation of the truth then this is even a larger disservice. It is nowhere near balanced journalism.
Without Stephannie’s side of the story these comments come off as over the top and alarmist. With her side they are not sooo far fetched. The lackadaisical response to this tragedy is again with held. It again comes off as officials spinning this to smooth the situation over and, if there is not more of Stephannie’s input into this story, that would include the journalists and editors at the Chosun Ilbo.
Your translation is wrong in a few areas.
1.
should be something like:
2.
should be something like:
3.
should be something like:
…and my first impression was that this is just another opportunity for the Ilbo to list the inconveniences that foreigners encounter in Korea. If only someone had spoken English at that sauna~!?
I suspected foul play all along and still do. It just doesn’t make sense from the description of Michael as a healthy and aware young man with good swimming skills. I have been going to saunas in Korea for the 12 years I’ve been here and it just doesn’t make any sense for someone like that to drown in a bath. Any other reasons like a fall, drug reaction or a seizure or exhaustion would show up in any responsible autopsy (speaking of which, I would suggest that at a minimum, a second autopsy should be done by someone outside of the Daegu area; even better, repatriate the remains and have a autopsy done in the States).
I certainly hope the police are taking a good look at who was in the bath at the time because it just doesn’t make any sense.
The fact that the boy died by drowning certainly could hide some other more sinister goings on and I do hope the mother can get some measure of satisfaction from the investigation. She is in our thoughts and prayers.
The first part of the article gave Stephannie’s account. I didn’t translate it because there was no new information. Thanks for asking, Maddlew. I added a clarification at the beginning of the story.
Yeah, good job. I’m glad to see this in the Korean press, and would encorage others to spread the word to coworkers and Korean friends. Yeah, I know people trot out the excuse “It happens to Koreans too,” but this is ridiculous.
I strongly recommend everyone listen to the Seoul Podcast with Michael’s mother. I must warn you the stupidity, incompetence, laziness, and downright unwillingness to do anything helpful will cause you to put your fist through your screen.
http://www.seoulpodcast.com
You know, I’m reading the Chosun article and I just don’t see where this “unbalanced” journalism supposedly is. The article just interviewed and quoted the mother, the police, the doctors, and the sauna worker. They did a good job reporting the story as it was presented to the reporters by all sides. If people can’t read Korean, maybe it would be wise not to jump to conclusions. It’s like me not being able to read and understand a word of English but start screaming media bias on every story about Koreans. How ridiculous does that look?
Thanks very much, Dufos, for the corrections. Your translations give the story a different tone, and I edited my post accordingly.
I’m glad the story got mentioned in the news (at last), but I’m really concerned that the article is spinning it to make Mrs. White frantic and unreasonable, and is really putting an extra effort to give the sauna people excuses. (Big surprise, right?) It reeks of the same stench I get from Fox News Channel.
I’m inclined to buy the story from the paramedics, however, being too biased in favor of health professionals. What goes on in the minds and actions of healthcare providers can be observed drastically different by a layman.
The statements given by the employee (the virtually invisible places in the baths that are also apparently soundproof) seem questionable at best… and I was under the impression that there were more than 15 people in the bath at the time of this occurrence (not that the indifference of 15 is hardly an improvement on the indifference of hundreds).
“make Mrs. White frantic and unreasonable”
should be
“make Mrs. White look frantic and unreasonable”
Not to mention foreigners’ concerns about safety in Korea.
Ms. White wasn’t a layman but a trained first responder. If you listen to the Seoulpodcast, you will hear her describe specifically the errors made by medical personnel.
Thanks, Sonagi. That makes me feel a little better. I’m glad that, at least, the victim’s mother’s voice is included fully. All other’s are INCLINED to be biased due to a chance at culpability. Unfortunately, her voice is singular in this instance. Fortunately, she seems to be strong and strident.
cm, you’ll notice plenty of if’s in my original post. I don’t know how I can make it clearer to you.
Actually, the story is not balanced as cm thinks. The story organization is as follows:
1. introduction
2. presentation of Stephannie’s side of the story
3. comments from whinging, Korea-bashing foreigners
4. key transition sentence: After researching the police investigation, the testimony of the rescuers, and the autopsy, [we have found that] there are a number of factual discrepancies in Ms. Stephanie’s claims, followed by statements from sauna employees, EMTs, autopsy pathologist, and the police.
Dufos’ more accurate translations communicate the doubtful tone of the article, whose purpose appears to be an attempt to refute Ms. White’s and the foreign community’s dissatisfaction and suspicions surrounding Michael’s death.
The comment section that follows the article is, not surprisingly, unpleasant to read. However, one commenter expressed sympathy to Ms. White in English while another voiced a strong suspicion that Michael was forcibly drowned by more than one person.
See? I told you I was severely biased ;-). Duly noted, and really disappointed (but not surprised) at the article’s imbalance.
Cm, the article spends most of its efforts on discrediting Mrs. White’s claim directly and indirectly. Most noticeable is comparing her accounts with “facts”, which are actually accounts of the sauna and the paramedics (which should not be labeled as facts when it is just another account of the story). I really hope police investigation leads to something, but I know I’m being hopelessly naive and optimistic there.
The Chosun has an English version available now… which seems slightly more sympathetic: http://english.chosun.com/w21d.....20024.html
The EMTs did not use the defibrillator. There would have been marks on Mike’s chest to indicate that they had done this. There were no marks on Mike’s chest before the ER. The ER attempted 3 times leaving 3 marks for each paddle.
The EMTs have not yet explained to the police (as of May 19th) why they did not use the O2 tank or defibrillator.
The only “discrepancy” between my reporting and the medical personal, sauna etc is I didn’t know what was going on before 11:45 when I was notified. Even with the timeline filled in about the time of the 119 call & arrival of the EMT, this still doesn’t explain how Mike could have been in the situation to begin with.
I just got back from a doctor’s office and was looking at the Chosun Ilbo the guy next to me was reading and did a double take when I saw that story (on page 9, it took up a third of the page). I’m glad this is getting exposure in the Korean media.
#18,
I haven’t read the Korean article, but there are several reasons why the tone of a translation would be different from the original text, some much more alarming than others.
Ms. White,
Again, I sincerely hope for two things in this case.
1. you do not trust the original autopsy as being thorough. Get a second opinion in another city. There are too many questions surrounding your son that are not answered. Also, an examination would be necessary a day or two after the first autopsy to check for any bruising that might have come to the surface if there was foul play (yes, I am a C.S.I. fan but that is entirely beside the point, the science is accurate and I wouldn’t put it past the M.E. to overlook this possibility.)
2. you have some good English speaking Korean friends with power and/or position who will seriously go to bat with and for you to get the autorities off their collective duffs to find out what happened.
Well somebody is reading expatkorea, because it’s my quote that’s mentioned about mad cow disease.
With that said I just got through listening to the podcast and am shocked at the sauna employees for their incompetence, I really can’t believe nobody would notice a kid floating in the water, then the police for their total lack of desire in following up on this.
Stephanie said on the podcast that when an American citizen dies overseas and it’s suspicious in nature, the FBI gets involved. I find that hard to believe, can somebody check on that. I’m pretty sure the FBI’s presence at the Embassy has always been more about illegal drugs, terrorism, the threat from the north etc than us “normal” Americans.
I hope she gets an answer and the police find out what happened.
Looks like Ms. White set up a new page: http://www.mightiemike.com/
It got another write up in the Times:
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/ww.....24608.html
Pardon the pun, I give Stephanie a ton of credit for not letting this one die.
I certainly won’t pardon that pun. That’s just bad taste.
Did the article say that the sauna employee who saw the boy floating face down and thought it was some sort of prank a “she”?
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[...] tragic events seem to come in groups at a certain time. Such as the Mike White tragedy, which is finally getting picked up by Korean-language media. But also not to mention the rash of recent suicides in Daegu, such as the one downtown and the one [...]