Lost bag with late wife's photos receives 100 encouraging calls

According to the Airport Railroad (AREX) on Friday, Mr. Goh Dong-seung (76), who works as an energy management engineer, lost his backpack containing a laptop, USB drive, mobile phone, and other items at Gyeyang Station on AREX in Gyeyang-gu, Incheon, on the afternoon of December 8. He only discovered the loss after driving home from the parking lot at Gyeyang Station following a visit to another region.

“I remembered leaving my bag on the road next to the parking lot just before I got into the car, so I went back to Gyeyang Station, but I couldn't find it," Mr. Goh said in a call with The Dong-A Ilbo on Thursday. "I was sweating, and my legs were shaking." The USB in his bag contained photos and videos of his late wife and her funeral. His wife of 49 years, who was married to Mr. Goh and had three children, succumbed to breast cancer and died in 2021 at the age of 73.

The USB and laptop also contained his 16 years of work as an energy management engineer. He hadn't backed up his wife's photos, videos, and work records and was on the verge of losing them all.

Mr. Goh eventually filed a lost and found report with the Gyeyang Police Station on December 10. Instead of relying solely on the police, he asked for help himself. On December 16, he wrote, "In the bag, there are several USBs containing content related to my late wife, and there is also a phone used by my wife. If you return them to save one person, I will make it up to you generously." He placed this paper at 10 locations around Gyeyang Station.

He said he received nearly 100 calls with encouraging messages, but the bag was never found. Most calls conveyed messages such as "Stay strong" or "We'll pray for you to find your bag."

The police analyzed the surveillance cameras in and around Gyeyang Station to confirm‎ that Mr. Ko was seen leaving the station without his bag on the day of the loss and that he most likely left it on the train as he got off. Eventually, Mr. Goh found his bag at the Airport Express Lost and Found Center on Thursday.

"I keep them all in my bag to look at photos and videos when I miss my wife," he said. "I want to thank everyone for their interest and help in finding my precious bag."


Kum-Chun Hwang kchwang@donga.com