Special: ExPat Deaths and Systematic Cover Ups
Banchan (Small Bites), Podcast June 25th, 2008
Stephanie White returns with an update on her son, Michael White, who died mysteriously in a sauna in Daegu. She clarifies points she made in her first appearance and details the results of the government’s autopsy. The autopsy itself has raised enough questions to get the U.S. Embassy involved.
What looks like either a systematic cover up or a long series of incompetence and arrogance is disturbing to any foreigner and any parent of a foreigner living in Korea. A rise in unexplained deaths to foreigners and attacks on foreigners combined with indifference from the authorities should be the top issue to any foreigner living here, whether you’re an English teacher, businessman, professional or laborer.
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June 25th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
[...] [Special: ExPat Deaths and Systematic Cover Ups] [...]
June 25th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
Joe and Jen,
Good on yas.
j.
June 26th, 2008 at 12:32 am
I forgot to tell folks during the interview… the hospital Mike was taken to…changed their name from TeakYoung Hospital to SaoMyung Hospital. This happened just within the last week. (romanization may not be perfect for new name, I’m unable to use Korean font for this comment)
July 1st, 2008 at 11:26 pm
Very informative, I’m so sorry this happened.
As a humorous aside, you can hear Jennifer’s cat throw up a hair ball at the 21 minute mark
July 15th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
I just finished listening to both podcasts about Mike. It’s really sad and makes me frustrated and angry too. I was recently the victim of such a small crime that it embarasses me to mention it next to such serious things like this and Bill and the others. My motorcycle helmet was stolen and my gas stolen. Hell my bike wasn’t even stolen. I got my helmet back since the CCTV camera saw two guys drive in on a scooter and come out with the helmet and then go park on the next level down. The security guy just gave me the helmet back. I was trying to get him to call the police but he didn’t go for it. I had my co teacher call the building the next day to ask why the police were not called. Apparently that was my job. Fair enough, and had I spoken better Korean or been the victim of this back home in Canada I would have called the police right away and waited by the scooter until they arrived. As it is, the security guy just left them a note saying they had been spotted on the camera and he took the helmet himself. Later the scooter was gone and I haven’t seen it back in the building since. I ended up going to the police to make a report the next night with a Korean friend. They did seem helpful and polite, but said I should have come in the night before. Well, nothing I can do about it now. And compared to what happenened to Mike, it’s so insignificant. But it does make me think. If something more serious did happen to me or a friend, I don’t trust that Korean society will try to get to the bottom of it or bring justice. That makes me really sad and conflicted as I know alot of good Korean people.
July 21st, 2008 at 12:15 am
Trevor,
I understand what you mean about being conflicted. I too know a great number of good Korean people. And many of those folks have expressed sorrow over what has happened to Mike and the lack of answers or investigation… but the sad truth is, that most of what has happened with Mike’s case, would be the same had Mike been Korean.
Everyone seems more comfortable keeping ‘ugly’ things hidden and focusing on the ‘happy’ things in life. That is until it happens to them…