Postman found dead after 18 hours

By Kim Tae-jong

A 33-year-old postman was found about 18 hours after his death in the stairway of an apartment building in Incheon, according to the police on Friday.

The police said that the deceased, surnamed Kim, seemed to have fallen down the stairs between the 16th and 17th floors to his death at around 3 p.m. on Wednesday but his body was not discovered until 7:45 a.m. the following day when a colleague found the body.

“There is no sign of murder. We suspect he fell to his death given the skull indentation, the blood on the floor, and since he is facing the ceiling. His body was not found right away as few residents take the stairs these days,” a police officer said.

What makes his tragic death sadder is the devotion he had shown for his sick mother.

The family of the deceased said Kim never married and had taken care of his 61-year-old mother who suffers from diabetic complications.

“His entire monthly salary was spent to support his family and to buy his mother medicine. After the death of his father seven years ago, he came home right after work every night and took care of his mother,” his 31-year-old sister said.

The colleague who found the body said the accident appears to have occurred as Kim was a diligent worker and must have taken the stairs to deliver parcels more quickly.