Outraged Koreans Petition To Reveal The Identity of The “Entertainment Industry Associate” Who Bullied An Elderly Security Guard To Death

The guard is said to have endured weeks of verbal and physical abuse.

Content Warning

This article includes descriptions of suicide or self harm that may disturb some readers.

On May 10, 2020, the Korean press covered the unbelievably brutal story of an apartment complex’s elderly security guard taking his own life…

A small memorial service prepared by the tenants, set up in front of the guard’s office

… after enduring weeks of bullying from a male tenant “A”. This news surfaced when another tenant from the same apartment complex posted an exposé online. The post read, “Today, the friendly security guard ahjussi from our apartment complex took his own life by throwing himself off the 13th floor of the building.” This tenant claimed, “I am sharing what happened online because I want more people to know about the ugly truth behind why he decided to make such a tragic decision.

The tenant shared that she first became aware of the situation on May 3, 2020, when she heard noise coming from the complex’s parking lot. She and some other tenants had come outside to check — and they found the security guard in a physical brawl with A. When asked about what happened, the security guard explained that ever since he “moved A’s vehicle without permission” back in April, he had been enduring A’s verbal and physical abuse.

According to the tenants’ interviews that followed, while most tenants trusted the security guard to move around parallel parked cars, A unreasonably “demanded that the security guard does not touch his car.”

Actual CCTV footage of the security guard moving A’s car in April

We have too many cars compared to the number of spaces provided in the complex. So a lot of tenants parallel park and the security guard helped maneuver the cars around when anyone had to get out. Parking has never been easy, but we all tried to be understanding. Apparently though, A would parallel park his car even if there are open spaces. Yet he demanded that the security guard does not touch his car. And because that is simply unreasonable, the security guard did what he had to do — especially to let the other tenants get access in and out.

— Tenant

Since the day he found his car being moved around, A began bullying the security guard with every chance he found. Over the few weeks, A had broken the security guard’s nose and toe with physically attacks, threatened to “bury [the guard] alive” if not removed from work, and even taken the guard to the police station in a harassment lawsuit.

A walking up to the security guard and growing violent with him 

The security guard, who could not endure the incessant bullying anymore, ended up leaving a will — asking for his innocence to be proven — before giving up his life.

Tenants of unit xxx, thank you. This is really unfair for me. But thank you for helping me out anyway. Please prove my innocence.

— Security Guard

With that said, Korean netizens are growing furious at A and have started a petition to reveal his identity — especially because the complex’s tenants have hinted that A is involved in the Korean entertainment industry.

Excerpt from the tenant’s exposé

If A ever sees this… Unit 000. You checked for CCTVs before abusing the guard, I heard. The other tenants couldn’t believe how cruel you had been. You know you’re going to be punished more severely now. How foolish of you. I bet the media will love screenshots of your threatening text messages to the guard. When I heard that you work in the entertainment business, I wanted to use that information against you. But I decided to give you a second chance to come clean. Oh, how wrong I had been to believe you had any decency left. You better turn yourself in and reflect on your wrongdoings… before the shame comes find you.

— Tenant

The petition, now live on the South Korean Blue House’s National Petitions page, pleads for a thorough and strict investigation of A. In only a day, the petition has accrued over 110K+ signatures.

Please help reveal the truth behind the unfair death of our apartment’s security guard ahjussi.

— Petition

Outraged by the details, netizens have flooded over to sign the petition in support and grievance of the late security guard.

  • “Entertainment industry associate? Could be an agency employee or a celebrity manager… Regardless of what he is, I really want him to suffer for what he did. I can’t believe he’s under investigation for assault though.”
  • “Which f*cking as*shole did this?”
  • “What the f*ck man…? I think we deserve to know the murderer’s name.”
  • “This is horrible… And it looks like the security guard had been well loved by the residents. Shows how wonderful of a person he must have been. I hope A gets what he deserves. Rest in peace ahjussi.”
  • “You know… Korea should really start revealing the identities of criminals, like other countries do. Why blur the CCTVs? Just blast those faces on TV.”
  • “Wow, if that f*cker really does belong in the entertainment industry, he better be kicked out immediately for this. Whoever sides with him… I’ll have to assume they are the same type of demons.”

In the meanwhile, the police have arrested A for assault and begun investigating the security guard’s death.

Source: News Tomato, YTN, Newsis, THEQOO and Nate Pann