[Opinion] The Last Call

Facing a life-or-death situation, the human brain returns back to the state of primitive instinct. Reasoning requires several seconds to think, often leading people in danger to miss an opportunity to save their own lives. On the other hand, instinct, programmed to fight against strong enemies in the nature from tens of thousands of years ago, helps people escape a crisis. When their lives are in danger, therefore, victims conjure up faces of their loved ones. Like a prodigal son going back home before his final days, it is human instinct to think about families in a crisis.

▷Death comes out of sudden most times. Despite disputes and conflicts they have had with each other, members of families regret what they have done and weep in grief. A letter was found in a tomb in Aandong, Gyeongbuk in 1998, written by a woman from Mun Family some 450 years ago, touches our heart. She remembers her husband who died at the age of 31, beginning with `to father of Won.` - `You promise me that we would live together for years and years until our hair turn gray. And now you are gone leaving me alone. You are just not here with me and my heart is breaking. When you read this letter, please come to visit me and talk to me in my dream. I wish to hear you even in my dream.`

▷Jung Ri-tae, daughter of the late children book writer Jung Cha-bong, also wrote an essay titled `If my daddy takes a holiday to visit me` missing his father. `If my daddy takes a day off in heaven and visits me down to the earth, I will cry loud in his arms. Then I will say to him that I love and respect him.` Victims in Daegu subway fire were also missing their loved ones at their last moments. It was not by writing but by high-tech gadget called mobile phone. In the pitch dark with people crying for help, they sent the last SOS calls to loved ones.

▷It must have been difficult to speak due to thick poisonous gas filled in the air. They were trying hard to hold on, however, thinking their fathers and mothers. Then breathing the last breath, they pulled themselves together one last time and said `I love you, mom.` It must have been by their instinct. People die but their names remain, there is a saying. What could we do to compensate for their tragic deaths? What will they remember? We just feel so sad and angry about the underdeveloped social system that failed to avert the tragic disaster and save them from the raging fire.

Hong Chan-shik, Editorial Writer, chansik@donga.com