[Sportschosun Jeong An-ji] Comedian Kim Jeong-ryeol shared the story of how the truth behind his older brother's death, after he was beaten during military service, came to light nearly 30 years later.
On the MBN program "Kim Joo-ha's Day & Night" aired on the 8th, Hwang Gi-soon and Kim Jeong-ryeol appeared as guests.
That day, Kim Joo-ha cautiously asked Kim Jeong-ryeol, "I heard your older brother died after being beaten in the military."
Kim Jeong-ryeol replied, "It was in 1977, when I was in high school," and recalled his brother's final visit. "It was evening, and he came to see me. When I asked what was going on, he said, 'I came because I wanted to see you.' We stayed up all night together, and the next day he returned to his unit."
He said, "When I came back from school, there was a military truck waiting. They told me my brother had been hospitalized because he was sick and asked for our hometown address," adding, "I gave them the address and thought nothing of it, but later I found out he had died after being beaten in the military. They did not tell me because I was in exam period."
He continued, "The cause of death was listed as pesticide poisoning," and added, "My mother said, 'It is absolutely not pesticide poisoning,' but in the end, the true cause of death was covered up."
Kim Jeong-ryeol said, "Later, the Military Suspicious Death Investigation Committee was formed, and after I applied and the case was investigated, the perpetrator was identified," adding, "The statute of limitations had expired, and he made a conscience statement. He sincerely apologized to our family. We were able to restore our honor as well."
He also said, "He could not be laid to rest in the national cemetery," and explained, "Now that the truth has been revealed, he could be buried there, but we could not find his remains. We buried his remains near the unit, but they were lost when the area was developed."
Kim Jeong-ryeol said, "My mother carried this burden for her entire life. It later became an illness. She developed something like obsessive cleanliness," adding, "Later, she developed dementia and could no longer recognize even her own children." He went on, "She saw that her son's honor had been restored, but by then her dementia had progressed so much that even when we explained it, she could not understand."
He said, "Since his honor was restored, the state offered compensation. But our family agreed not to accept it, saying, 'Did you sell your brother's life to make money?'" Hwang Gi-soon then said, "I understood the good intention, but I suggested that if compensation were received in your brother's name, it would be better to donate it or at least build a memorial stone at his grave."
Kim Jeong-ryeol added, "We checked through a lawyer, and the application period was four years after the case ended," saying, "Those few days passed in between."
anjee85@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
