A banner calling for the search for missing Song Hye-hee hangs on a sidewalk near Nam Mountain in Seoul on Oct. 10, 2023. Korea Times photo by Lee Young-chang

By KTimes

Song Gil-yong, 71, had searched tirelessly for his missing daughter Hye-hee for over 25 years, hanging banners across the country, but he died without ever finding her.

Song died in a car accident on Monday when he collided with an oncoming truck. His daughter went missing 25 years and six months ago.

Song’s daughter Hye-hee was 17 years old when she disappeared on February 13, 1999, after getting off a bus near her home in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province.

Police considered the possibility of kidnapping and other crimes, but there was no trace of her. After her disappearance, Song devoted his life to searching for her, putting up posters across the country and making inquiries at various child protection agencies.

After her daughter disappeared, Song’s wife fell into depression and eventually took her own life.

In a media interview in 2020, Song said, “After my wife died, I gave up the thought of death and focused solely on finding Hye-hee. I can’t forget her no matter how hard I try. If I don’t see Hye-hee while I’m alive, I won’t be able to move on in death either. I will search for her, even as a ghost.”

Song’s health had been deteriorating recently. Na Ju-bong, chairman of the National Association for Missing Children and Families, who has known Song for 20 years, remembers him as a man who showed what parental love really means.

“Song always said, ‘If I die first, please make sure you find Hye-hee.’ It’s heartbreaking to see him leave this world without knowing his daughter’s fate,” Na said.

The late Song Gil-yong, who searched for his missing daughter for 25 years / Yonhap

This article from Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, was translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.