By Kang Shin-who
A Japanese woman, known as an avid fan of a top Korean actor and singer, has been missing for more than one year in Korea.
According to Gangnam Police Station in southern Seoul, Tanahashi Eriko, 59, came to Seoul on a tour on Dec. 28 in 2009 and went missing on Jan. 1, 2010.
Police said the woman left her hotel, after asking an employee bout how to get to Chuncheon in Gangwon Province.
“We did our best and even stayed for several days in Gangwon Province, but we could not find any clues. Police supervisors are pushing us for the outcome of the investigation and complaining that it has taken too long,” said a policewoman from the police station.
Following a request from her daughters in Japan, police launched an investigation early last year and found that the woman was seen at Gangneung Bus Terminal in Gangwon Province.
She was also found to have eaten dinner at a restaurant in Jumunjin, a town near Gangneung City. After that, she sent a photo file of Ryu Si-won, a Korean popular actor and singer, to her friend back in Japan using her cellular phone. She was a fan of the Korean star, police said.
Police officers think that she might have committed suicide, considering she had been taking medicine for depression and showed some worrying symptoms.
Police cited hotel staff as saying that she seldom went out of the hotel, while she was staying there, and was witnessed glaring out of a window for 3 to 4 hours at the hotel cafeteria.
“We have not secured any clues to her whereabouts, although we have investigated the case for a year. We won’t jump to any conclusions,” a policeman said.
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