I am covering trend, food and fashion. Previously, I covered diplomacy, city, environment and unification.
Police checking on text messages
By Kim Se-jeong
In this captured message, a sender purportedly trapped in the ferry Sewol urges people to come and save them. The police are investigating if the message was really from among those missing.
By Kim Se-jeong
Police believe mobile messages sent to families purportedly by missing students trapped in the sunken wreckage of the Sewol were more than likely the work of heartless pranksters.
One message said, “My name is Choi Hye-bin. I am alive. I am in the back of the kitchen.”
It was received by one of the parents at a temporary shelter set up at a gym on Jindo Island, early Thursday morning.
It continued, “There are quite many alive here. Please help us. Battery is low. Please believe what I am saying. Water is low here. If you see this, please let police know. There are a lot of students alive, about 14.”
Another message was received by friends of the missing students late Wednesday. A message on Kakao Talk was forwarded to their families, according to parents.
One of the most widely circulated messages had the sender saying she was trapped with other students.
“I can’t make an outgoing call. I am inside the ferry. I don’t see anything. A couple of male and female students are weeping together. Spread the word that I am alive and there are people alive still.”
But police found the sender was a primary school student, and summoned him and his parents for questioning Thursday.
Police say they are trying to identify those who sent the messages and if they turn out to be pranks those responsible will be held accountable.
Reports have indicated that two divers involved in the rescue operation told some parents that they had heard children shouting when they were underwater.
One woman also reportedly said her son had called her. “He said he was in a game room … and asked for help.” There was no information about what time the call was received.