[Forensic Life] Workplace Where You Spend More Time Than Home, Violence Within

Mr. Kim and Mr. Park got along very well from the beginning. As apartment security guards, they had many tasks to resolve residents' complaints together, and they were from the same hometown. Being on adjacent lines, they had many opportunities to talk. Their political views were also similar. As they grew closer, they came to know each other's personal matters in detail. They shared their difficulties and sought solutions together.

Mr. Kim, who always wore a smile on his face, had a big concern. It was about his eldest son. After working for a few months, his son stayed at home all the time. He played internet games in his room and ate meals there. Mr. Kim confided this story to a fellow from the same hometown. Mr. Park sincerely felt sorry and wanted to offer some solution. He told other colleagues about Mr. Kim’s unfortunate situation and asked what should be done in such cases. Hearing stories that sympathized with his situation, Mr. Kim felt anger as if betrayed by someone he trusted. He called Mr. Park out and confronted him. Mr. Park felt deeply hurt. The two grabbed each other by the collar. In a moment of rage, Mr. Kim punched Mr. Park’s face hard with his fist. Mr. Park, hit on the left side of his face, collapsed and could not get up. He was transported to a nearby hospital but died.

The autopsy of the deceased Mr. Park confirmed a single muscle hemorrhage on his face, with no other injuries on his body. There was no sign of hitting his head when he fell. Mr. Park’s brain showed subarachnoid hemorrhage and bleeding inside the ventricles. Usually, such bleeding is caused by a cerebral aneurysm ruptured due to high blood pressure, but in cases of violence, the vertebral artery at the back of the neck should be examined. Mr. Park’s neck was carefully autopsied. When strong external force is applied to the face or both sides of the neck, especially around the area below the ears, the neck bone can rotate and break a small protrusion called the lateral process beside the vertebra. This can rupture the vertebral artery passing through this area. When the vertebral artery ruptures, bleeding occurs mainly in the lower part of the brain, causing subarachnoid hemorrhage. When brain bleeding occurs, the brain enclosed in the skull swells, leading to brain compression or increased intracranial pressure, which can cause sudden death. Such cases are very rare and can be seen in violence where a much stronger assailant attacks a relatively weaker victim. However, Mr. Kim was an ordinary man in his 60s. It was the result of failing to control a momentary anger. The prosecution did not consider it intentional murder, and the court, considering sincere apology and settlement, reportedly sentenced him to a suspended prison term.

The workplace is a second home. People spend more time with colleagues than with family. Ideally, strong camaraderie would form at work, but conflicts and animosity often escalate. Recently, after quitting a job, incidents such as revenge killings have occurred. Although the above case did not involve excessive violence, it resulted in the tragic loss of a precious life due to relying on violence as a temporary outlet for conflict.

In our society, hierarchical order and the experience of violence as a means of problem-solving during the unfortunate modern history sometimes lead to situations where the absolute value of human life is overlooked. The saying “Do not even hit with a flower” does not apply only to children, nor is it limited to physical violence. Conflicts between people can arise anytime, and their resolution should be based on dialogue grounded in mutual understanding. Violence can easily cause irreversible consequences.

We hope for a day when our society naturally accepts differences between others and ourselves, and mature responses to these differences become social customs.

Yoo Seong-ho, Forensic Scientist

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