"Who Was the Person..." Memorial Messages Lined Up at the Closed Pharmacy

Pharmacist Who Guarded a Corner Pharmacy Passes Away
Neighborhood Residents Mourn with Post-it Notes
Regular Customers Say, "Thank You So Much for Everything"

A pharmacist who had long served a corner of the neighborhood passed away due to illness, and a wave of mourning continues as people attach memorial Post-it notes in front of the pharmacy the deceased once operated.

A funeral notice posted at a pharmacy near Gubeundari Station in Gangdong-gu, Seoul. Next to the notice, additional messages from customers who had visited the pharmacy are also attached.
[Photo by Instagram user 'Kikni']

On the 18th, illustrator Kiki Ni’s social media account shared the story of a kind pharmacist who ran a pharmacy near Gubeundari Station in Gangdong-gu, Seoul.

According to the story, pharmacist Mr. A opened the pharmacy with his wife in 1985 and dedicated 39 years to serving local residents. Opening the pharmacy early in the morning to see people off on their way to work and lighting up the dark alley until late at night, this pharmacy was a resting place and healing space for the neighborhood people.

However, recently, the pharmacy began closing more often, and after being closed for over a month, a notice stating "Closed temporarily due to personal reasons" was posted, followed by an obituary notice.

Afterwards, notes written by customers began to appear one by one next to the obituary notice. On the neighborhood life platform Danggeun Market, posts mourning Mr. A were continuously uploaded.

The deceased’s daughter: "Thankful to those who visit the pharmacy and remember him"

A new Instagramtoon depicting an obituary notice posted at a pharmacy near Gubeundari Station in Gangdong-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Instagram 'Kikni']

According to the deceased’s daughter, Ms. B, last year her mother was involved in a head-on collision with a drunk, unlicensed motorbike rider and was diagnosed with permanent lung function disability. The perpetrator showed no signs of remorse and, without a proper apology, reportedly said, "Since I’m financially struggling and can’t pay the hospital bills, if I go to prison, consider it like going to the military."

Despite this, Ms. B’s happy moment when her mother returned home was short-lived. Then her father underwent pulmonary artery thrombosis surgery and did not return.

Ms. B said, "I lost my father without being able to say a proper goodbye, just three days before his 70th birthday," and added, "I didn’t expect so many people to cry and feel sorrow with us."

She continued, "It still feels like a dream. I feel like he will smile from the place where he always was at any moment," and said, "I am trying to stay strong for my mother, who is still very uncomfortable physically, and my younger sibling, who is struggling but doesn’t show it."

She also added, "I am truly grateful to everyone who visits the pharmacy and remembers him. I also sincerely thank the informant and Kiki Ni on behalf of my father. He might have been a little shy, but he would have been very happy."

Mr. C, who revealed in the comments that he was a regular customer of the pharmacy, said, "Since it was my regular pharmacy since childhood, I was heartbroken to hear the news," and added, "It seems he neglected his own health while taking care of the residents’ health, which makes me sad. Thank you so much for everything."

Netizens who read the story responded with comments such as, "This is a truly touching story. We sincerely pray for the repose of the pharmacist who steadfastly protected the neighborhood," "The place where a good person lived feels warm," and "As a current pharmacist, this is a very heartwarming story."

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