Officer saves lives on Mapo Bridge

Kim Chi-yell

By Lee Ji-hye

One of Mapo Police Station’s daily tasks is to patrol the bridge that overlooks the Han River in western Seoul, where a series of suicides have taken place with people of various ages jumping to their death.

As an entry-level police officer, Kim Chi-yell, 36, has dealt with more suicide cases than anyone at the station, having worked just more than a year after joining the force last year on April 4.

According to the police station, Kim has saved more than 50 people from taking their own lives ― often risking his own life at times.

Earlier this month, Kim received a report from the station at 11 p.m. saying that a male student from Gyeonggi Province was on the bridge after announcing plans to commit suicide.

Kim was on the bridge when he spotted a bare-footed teenage boy 800 meters away, and sprinted toward him.

Kim grasped the teenager by the ankle as he attempted to jump off, preventing a fatal fall.

The student, a member of a sports team at his high school, praised the officer for his speed, saying, “I can run 100 meters in 11 seconds, but the officer was pretty fast too.”

Kim’s record for 100 meters is 13 seconds, but he said that the emergency of the situation made him faster.

Kim was quoted as saying, “People who attempt to take their own lives don’t look straight, they look down and walk, which says a lot about what’s on their minds when they cross the bridge. They don’t think of reaching the end of the bridge to begin with.

“They have no goal but down when they come on this bridge, and that’s how I can tell them apart from just other passersby,” Kim said.

He added that his family is terribly worried about the dangers that come with his job, but also feels determined to help others realize the value of their lives as well.

“I really feel like I’m protecting lives when I stop someone from committing suicide,” Kim said.