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The son of mountaineer Park Young-seok arrives at Incheon International Airport Tuesday from Nepal, holding a portrait of the climber believed to have fallen to his death after going missing in the Himalayas last month. Rescue teams have failed to find Park and two other climbers but recovery efforts are expected to resume next March. / Yonhap |
Memorial altar for Park Young-seok set up at SNU
By Kim Rahn
Only a portrait returned home.
The son of mountaineer Park Young-seok, who went missing on Oct. 18 with two other junior climbers while scaling Annapurna in the Himalayas, and other members of the search team, came back to Korea with heavy hearts early Tuesday morning. Holding just the portrait, he was forced to accept that his father was dead after rescue teams suspended the search operation.
Park’s wife, other family members, and fellow mountaineers who prayed for the explorer’s safe return, all shed tears at Incheon International Airport, while looking upon the portrait in which Park was all smiles.
Lee In-jung, head of the Korean Alpine Federation, said the search operation was suspended due to avalanches and falling rocks but will resume next May or June when the weather is better.
“Park was one of the world’s best climbers. He kept challenging new routes. Mountaineers across the world are mourning the loss,” he said.
Eom Hong-gil, who was known as one of the nation’s two top climbers along with Park, made a deep bow to each of the three mountaineers’ portraits. “It seems unreal. The three were the best. The big stars in the climbing circle have fallen,” he said.
Lee said it seems Park was hit by an avalanche only about 250 meters away from a temporary camp set up at 5,370 meters on the mountain. “We found his rope coiled about 30 meters away from the rock face, and it means he descended the rock and the camp was just 250 meters away.”
He said they may have been swept away by a huge avalanche after a large ice column fell, adding they may be buried deep under the snow, about 30 meters deep. “But we’ll keep searching for them. If we fail to find them next year, we’ll keep trying the next year and the next.”
For the three climbers, a joint memorial alter was set up at Seoul National University Hospital in central Seoul, Tuesday. Not only mountaineers but also ordinary citizens can pay tribute. The funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday.
Citizens and some movie stars expressed condolences.
Popular movie star Yoo Ji-tae mourned his death.
“I will visit the funeral site tomorrow to pay my respects. I hope he rests in peace,” Yoo said in his Twitter account.
Yoo met and became close to Park after they visited the Antarctic together to film the movie “Antarctic Journal” which was released in 2005.
Yoo said he was initially unable to understand why Park tried to explore untraveled and dangerous roads. But he said he came to slightly understand him these days, saying Park must have left countless footsteps on new roads to truly embrace life.
A blogger, named kkamangi, said on a portal site, “I pray that they can rest in peace. I hope their remains will be found for the bereaved family.”
Another blogger, happiness, said, “Some may think it is stupid to climb mountains and risk their life. But without challenges, there is no progress for human beings. Park showed us the spirit of challenge.”
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박영석 탐험대 3일 합동영결식
1일 새벽 인천공항 입국장이 눈물 바다로 변했다.
이날 귀국한 대한산악연맹 이인정 회장과 박영석 대장의 장남 성우 씨 등 가족과 지인들의 손에는 박영석 대장과 신동민, 강기석 대원이 활짝 웃고 있는 영정사진이 들려 있었다.
공항에서 이들을 기다리던 박 대장의 부인 홍경희 씨는 박 대장 사진과 장남을 한꺼번에 끌어안고 오열했다. 끝까지 희망을 놓지 않았던 어머니의 눈물에 아들 성우 씨도 눈물을 흘리기 시작했고 산악인 엄홍길 대장과 산악연맹 관계자들도 눈물을 훔쳤다.
엄홍길 대장은 "산악계의 별이 떨어졌다"며 안타까움을 표현했다.
박영석 대장과 신동민, 강기석 대원에 대한 합동 분향소는 이날 오후 5시부터 서울대병원 장례식장에 차려졌고 3일 오전 10시에는 '산악인 장'으로 합동 영결식이 엄수된다.
배우 유지태는 이날 트위터를 통해 박영석 대장을 추모했다. 그는 "내일 박영석 대장 장례식에 간다. 난 '남극일기'라는 영화를 찍으며 '그 길'을 걷는 박영석 대장과 대원들을 이해하려고 애를 썼지만 좀처럼 이해하기 어려웠다. 지금 내가 도전하려는 것을 대입하니 조금 이해의 언저리에 다가간다. '그 길'을 걸어야 살아 있음을"이라고 썼다.
이어 유지태는 "살아 숨쉬고 있음을 느끼고자 그 길을 걸었던, 그리고 수많은 족적을 남기신 박영석 대장님과 대원들의 명복을 빕니다"며 추모 메시지를 남겼다.
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rahnita@koreatimes.co.kr |
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