 Flowers laid at the newly-built tomb of the actress Choi Jin-sil in a cemetery in Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday. / Korea Times |
A small memorial park for the late actress Choi Jin-sil has been built in a cemetery in Gyeonggi Province.
The ash box of the late actress was placed in the new tomb in the park in the Gapsan Park Cemetery in Yangpyeong, Tuesday, 56 days after it was stolen by an apparently emotional fan identified as Park. Police caught the thief on Aug. 26, 22 days after the theft, and the urn was returned to her loved ones.
The distraught family put her ashes to rest ahead of Oct. 2, the one-year anniversary of the death of the actress.
"We've built a memorial park in a place near the tomb from which her ashes were stolen. In the 15-pyeong (48 square meters) space, the urn, her photos and autograph books have been placed," a cemetery management official said.
He said security devices have been installed to prevent the recurrence of another theft, with the tomb specially manufactured in China and more surveillance cameras placed around the tomb.
"Another theft will not take place with the increased surveillance cameras and specially-designed tomb," the official said.
Her family members, friends and fan club members plan to hold a memorial ceremony at the park, Friday.
The park will be open to the public later.
In October last year, Choi was found dead in her home in southern Seoul in what was reported as an apparent suicide. She was 40 at the time.
Since her debut in 1988, she swiftly climbed the career ladder to become a household name, scoring main roles in soap operas, movies and commercials and later winning awards.
chojh@koreatimes.co.kr
