Japanese Dementia Patient Lost in Namdaemun Market Reunited with Family Thanks to Citizens' Help

An 80-year-old Japanese dementia patient who got lost while traveling in Seoul with his family was safely returned to his family with the help of citizens. On the 12th, Channel A reported the story of an elderly Japanese man in his 80s, Mr. A.

An elderly man with a balding head, a hunched back, and an awkward gait was rambling incoherently. The office staff tried to communicate using a translation application, but the interaction was not smooth.
[Photo by Channel A]

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Mr. A went missing on the 16th of last month while visiting Seoul with his family for sightseeing, disappearing from Namdaemun Market. He walked about 2 km from Namdaemun Market to Chungmuro Station and entered a labor attorney's office on the 5th floor of a nearby building. Labor attorney Jae-won Woo, who was at the office, explained the situation at the time: "He must have walked a lot because when I touched his back, it was drenched in sweat."

The elderly man, who was balding, had a hunched back, and an unsteady gait, was rambling incoherently. The office staff tried to communicate using a translation application, but communication was not smooth. Eventually, they even sought out an acquaintance who could speak Japanese to understand the situation and informed the building management office to respond to the current situation.

Building management staff Hyun-jung Seo said, "He said he was going to take the subway to Tokyo. Hearing that, I thought he might be a dementia patient." At the time, a missing person report had been filed, and Namdaemun Police Station was also searching for the elderly man. Later, the man was handed over to the responding police officers and safely reunited with his family.

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