"Late Officer Yoo Jaeguk, We Will Not Forget"…Nationwide Police Officers Raise 100 Million Won in Collective Donation

Death in line of duty during search for missing person who jumped into Hangang on the 15th of last month
Led by Police Workplace Council Preparatory Committee
Fundraised for half a month and delivered to bereaved family

On the 18th of last month, fellow police officers saluted after laying flowers at the funeral ceremony of the late Sergeant Yu Jae-guk held at the National Police Hospital in Songpa-gu, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Lieutenant Yu Jae-guk, who fearlessly jumped into the icy waters to search for a missing person who had jumped into the Han River. His colleagues have not forgotten the ‘police hero’ who became a star in the sky.

Even as frontline police officers battle the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), they gathered small donations and delivered them to Lieutenant Yu’s family on the 2nd in tribute.

Lieutenant Yu, a water rescue officer belonging to the Han River Police Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, tragically died in the line of duty on the 15th of last month while searching for a citizen who had jumped into the Han River. After one search on the day of the accident, Lieutenant Yu, thinking of the missing person’s family, decided to dive once more and was involved in the accident. It was especially heartbreaking when it became known that Lieutenant Yu’s wife was pregnant.

Upon learning of this story, fellow police officers stepped forward. Led by the Police Workplace Council Preparatory Committee (Jikhyup Junbiwi), about 10,000 police officers participated in a fundraising campaign held over fifteen days starting from the 17th of last month, and as of the morning of that day, a total of 103.1 million won was collected and delivered to Lieutenant Yu’s family.

Lieutenant Yu’s wife expressed her gratitude in a letter, saying, “My family and I are going through a difficult time, but we find comfort in the great support from the police officers.” She added, “My husband was always proud to be a police officer. Although he can no longer fulfill those dreams, I would be grateful if the remaining police officers live diligently on his behalf and for his share.” She also wished for the safety of her fellow officers, saying, “I hope that such tragic accidents causing precious lives to be lost never happen again. I wish all police officers could work in a safe environment.”

Min Gwan-gi, Director of Organization of the Police Workplace Council Preparatory Committee (Cheongju Heungdeok Police Station), who led the fundraising, said, “I wanted to let everyone know that colleagues nationwide miss the fallen officer and regard him as a hero of the organization.” He added, “About five colleagues die in the line of duty each year while working on site. We will continue to seek ways to support the families through fundraising campaigns.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.