“Would have been in elementary school if still alive”... ‘Unanswered Questions’ producer pays tribute on Jeong-in’s sixth death anniversary

[Financial News] On the sixth anniversary of Jeong-in’s death, the child died at 16 months old after being abused by her adoptive parents, producer-director Lee Dong-won, who directed SBS’s ‘Unanswered Questions,’ visited the child’s grave. Lee, who had previously shown Jeong-in’s face on the program, left a tribute saying the child would have started elementary school this year if still alive.
On the 14th, Lee Dong-won said in a post that he had visited Jeong-in’s grave and shared a photo he took during the visit.
The post began: “Would have been in elementary school if still alive.” Lee said he thinks of Jeong-in whenever he sees children going to school with their parents on his way to work.
“On my way to work in the morning, I often see small, adorable children holding their mom and dad’s hands, chattering as they head to school,” he wrote. “Every time, I think of that child. If the child were still alive, they would have started elementary school this year.”
He had visited the grave before the anniversary of Jeong-in’s death. “Today is the child’s sixth death anniversary,” Lee said. “I thought I might not be able to mark the anniversary, so I took a little time early one morning recently and went to the cemetery.”
A tree planted in Jeong-in’s name was growing at the grave. Seeing it again after a long time, Lee wrote: “The tree planted in the child’s name had grown so much. I was glad to see it, but... I was so sad.”
Lee also said he wanted Jeong-in to be remembered for a long time. “I once heard someone say this: People don’t disappear from the world the moment their hearts stop, but only when they are forgotten by those who remembered them,” he said. “That child has no family who will remember them.”
He also explained why he leaves a tribute each year. “I’m leaving this post again this year, hoping that the fact that the child lived in this world for a short time will be remembered for a long, long time,” Lee wrote. “Even if you’re busy, I’d be grateful if you could take a little time today to pray for the child.”
At the end of the post, Lee again included Jeong-in’s name and dates of birth and death. “I hope the child we failed to protect can be as happy as they wish in heaven,” he wrote. “That child’s name is Jeong-in.” He ended by adding the dates ‘2019.6.10. - 2020.10.13.’ alongside Jeong-in’s name.
Jeong-in died on October 13, 2020, after suffering sustained abuse at the hands of her adoptive parents. The child was 16 months old at the time. After the case came to light, public criticism mounted over the abuse inflicted on the young child and the failure to prevent it.
In January 2021, SBS’s ‘Unanswered Questions’ extensively covered Jeong-in’s case. In the episodes ‘Why Did Jeong-in Die? The Perpetrators and Bystanders Over 271 Days’ and ‘Sorry, Jeong-in, and the Path Our Anger Should Take,’ the program showed photos and videos featuring Jeong-in’s face. The broadcasts examined the reality of child abuse and society’s responsibility for failing to prevent the case.
However, a legal dispute arose over the disclosure of Jeong-in’s face. After the broadcast, the civic group Political Moms filed a complaint against producer Lee Dong-won, alleging that he had violated the reporting ban under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes.
In June 2023, prosecutors granted Lee a deferred indictment. Lee later filed a constitutional complaint, arguing that the prosecutors’ decision infringed his rights to equality and to pursue happiness.
After reviewing the case for about two years, the Constitutional Court of Korea ruled in December last year that Lee’s production of the broadcast constituted a “justifiable act” and overturned the prosecutors’ decision to defer indictment.
In its ruling, the Constitutional Court said, “The broadcast was produced for the public-interest purpose of exposing the brutality of child abuse crimes, calling for severe punishment of the perpetrators, and bringing measures to prevent recurrence and prevent child abuse into public discussion.” It added, “It also has significance as an exercise of the fundamental right to freedom of the press.”
[email protected] Han Seung-gon Reporter