"Going Hungry Was Common in My Childhood... My Regret for Not Taking Care of My Brother Lasts 50 Years" [Finding Lost Families]

[The Financial News]"We were so poor when we were young that even eating was a struggle. As his older brother, I regret not being able to take better care of him for my entire life."Kang Un-yong spoke these words as he recalled his younger brother, Kang Un-song (now 73, pictured), who went missing nearly 50 years ago. He expressed his sorrow that they were unable to create any special memories together before his brother disappeared.
On April 18, 1952, Kang Un-song vanished in a crowd while moving with his mother at Yeongdeungpo Station in Seoul. At the time, he was on his way from Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, to meet Kang Un-yong. Since that day, Kang Un-song has remained missing for nearly 50 years.
Although he was 24 years old and an adult, Kang Un-song had an intellectual disability and could not find his way home. He was unable to state his name or address, making it difficult for others to help him. No one among the police or merchants near Yeongdeungpo Station reported seeing him.
Kang Un-yong tried every possible way to find his brother over the decades. He registered fingerprints and Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) with the police and even appeared on television. Recently, he participated in a search for missing persons with the police. However, he was unable to confirm whether Kang Un-song was alive. Their mother searched for Kang Un-song until her final moments.
Kang Un-yong said, "I did my best to make inquiries, but there was no way to find my brother." He added, "Because of his disability, Kang Un-song often did not respond even when his name was called. It is much harder to find him than someone without a disability." He continued, "My mother was deeply heartbroken after my brother went missing. I wanted to find him before she passed away, but I regret that I could not."
Kang Un-yong shared the institutional difficulties faced by families of missing persons. He explained that even when visiting relevant agencies to search for his brother, he could not receive sufficient cooperation due to privacy restrictions, and there were few places to post missing person flyers.
He emphasized, "It is nearly impossible to gather information on missing persons without the police. There is virtually nothing families can do on their own." He appealed, "Since we cannot always accompany the police, families are left feeling anxious. I hope public institutions like the Community Service Center or the police can provide more bulletin boards for posting flyers."
Kang Un-song is 170 cm tall, has a slender build weighing in the 50 kg range, and has a burn scar near his right thumb. Due to his intellectual disability, his speech is somewhat awkward. At the time of his disappearance, he was wearing a navy shirt with white polka dots and gray pants with white stripes.
Kang Un-yong expressed his hope that Kang Un-song will return safely so they can spend the rest of their lives together. He said, "Growing up, going hungry was a daily occurrence, and I feel I was never able to do anything for my brother. Now, both of us are over seventy. Even now, I want to care for him and spend the rest of our days together."
He also said, "My brother went missing at a young age and must have suffered so much. Although I do not know whether he is alive, I hope he is living well somewhere. I pray that one day I will be able to see him again."
banaffle@fnnews.com Yoon Hong-jib Reporter