[Full Text] Kwak Jung-eun "My uncle passed away from COVID-19 in the United States"

Writer and broadcaster Kwak Jung-eun / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Seul-gi] The maternal uncle of broadcaster Kwak Jung-eun, a former magazine reporter, passed away in the United States due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

On the 11th, Kwak Jung-eun posted on her social network service (SNS), saying, "My heart hurt a lot today," along with a photo.

Kwak Jung-eun said, "I heard from my mother via text that my maternal uncle, who was far away in the United States, contracted COVID-19 and eventually passed away," adding, "No one, including my uncle, my mother, or the whole family, knows that I once took a bus alone to the airport crying on the day he emigrated because I wanted to see him one more time."

She continued, "I didn't even know the flight time, and back then, there were no cell phones, so of course, I couldn't meet him. Maybe because I thought that might be the last time, I ran to an airport I had never been to before."

She added, "My mother said it felt so empty when she delivered the news. That word hurts so much. I couldn't call my mother because I thought I would cry too much," and said, "Life is so beautiful and at the same time really empty."

Below is the full Instagram post by Kwak Jung-eun

My heart hurt a lot today.

I heard from my mother via text that my maternal uncle, who was far away in the United States, contracted COVID and eventually passed away.

I wanted to see my uncle one more time, so on the day he emigrated, I took a bus alone to the airport crying without any plan.

Neither my uncle, my mother, nor the whole family knows this yet.

I didn't know the flight time, and back then, there were no cell phones, so of course, I couldn't meet him.

Maybe because I thought that might be the last time, I ran to an airport I had never been to before.

My mother said it felt empty when she delivered the news. That word hurts so much.

I couldn't call my mother because I thought I would cry too much.

Life is so beautiful and at the same time really empty.

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