By Kim Rahn
Only a portrait returned home.
The son of mountaineer Park Young-seok, who went missing on Oct. 18 with two other junior climbers while scaling Annapurna in the Himalayas, and other members of the search team, came back to Korea with heavy hearts early Tuesday morning. Holding just the portrait, he was forced to accept that his father was dead after rescue teams suspended the search operation.
Park’s wife, other family members, and fellow mountaineers who prayed for the explorer’s safe return, all shed tears at Incheon International Airport, while looking upon the portrait in which Park was all smiles.
Lee In-jung, head of the Korean Alpine Federation, said the search operation was suspended due to avalanches and falling rocks but will resume next May or June when the weather is better.
“Park was one of the world’s best climbers. He kept challenging new routes. Mountaineers across the world are mourning the loss,” he said.
Eom Hong-gil, who was known as one of the nation’s two top climbers along with Park, made a deep bow to each of the three mountaineers’ portraits. “It seems unreal. The three were the best. The big stars in the climbing circle have fallen,” he said.
Lee said it seems Park was hit by an avalanche only about 250 meters away from a temporary camp set up at 5,370 meters on the mountain. “We found his rope coiled about 30 meters away from the rock face, and it means he descended the rock and the camp was just 250 meters away.”
He said they may have been swept away by a huge avalanche after a large ice column fell, adding they may be buried deep under the snow, about 30 meters deep. “But we’ll keep searching for them. If we fail to find them next year, we’ll keep trying the next year and the next.”
For the three climbers, a joint memorial alter was set up at Seoul National University Hospital in central Seoul, Tuesday. Not only mountaineers but also ordinary citizens can pay tribute. The funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday.
Citizens and some movie stars expressed condolences.
Popular movie star Yoo Ji-tae mourned his death.
“I will visit the funeral site tomorrow to pay my respects. I hope he rests in peace,” Yoo said in his Twitter account.
Yoo met and became close to Park after they visited the Antarctic together to film the movie “Antarctic Journal” which was released in 2005.
Yoo said he was initially unable to understand why Park tried to explore untraveled and dangerous roads. But he said he came to slightly understand him these days, saying Park must have left countless footsteps on new roads to truly embrace life.
A blogger, named kkamangi, said on a portal site, “I pray that they can rest in peace. I hope their remains will be found for the bereaved family.”
Another blogger, happiness, said, “Some may think it is stupid to climb mountains and risk their life. But without challenges, there is no progress for human beings. Park showed us the spirit of challenge.”