(코리아타운뉴스) “Mount Baldy is now my dad’s home”

Seok-du Kim was found dead after falling off a cliff
His family plan to go hiking as often as possible

His dad loved the mountains. To the son, his late father was as big as any mountain.

“He went hiking every day,” said Dong-young Kim, 49. “He was there at all times. He was as righteous and big in heart as a mountain.”

Seok-du Kim, 79, was found dead on April 11 at Mount Baldy. He was last seen on April 7 before going hiking by himself. He never returned. The accident came as an utter shock to Seok-du’s family as he has made nearly 800 trips to the same mountain. They hung on to the hope that he may still be alive, but were devastated to learn that he has been found dead.

“He stayed at the cabin located at the midpoint of the trail, so I thought maybe that’s where he’s staying,” said Dong-young. “Then I didn’t hear from him until the night of the day after. I went to the mountain in the next morning to look for him.”

Dong-young reported the father as a missing person after he discovered that no one had visited the cabin. The search went on for days, but to no avail.
“It was apparently one of the biggest search assignments for a missing person in the area,” Dong-young said. “Everyone was looking for my dad as if they were a part of our family. It was a heartfelt effort and I’d like to thank them all.”

Despite the prayers, Seok-du never came back alive.
“The place he was found was on the opposite side of the trail that he always went to,” said Dong-young. “There’s still snow higher up the trail and it’s slippery there. It looks like he slipped and fell off a cliff.”

Condolences have followed since Seok-du’s body was found. Some resented the family, accusing that they have been negligent to let an elderly man to repeatedly go on a risky hiking trip. The son thought otherwise, however.

“My father always said that he can’t leave any inheritance as he isn’t rich, but said he’d like to leave his ‘mental inheritance,’” Dong-young said. “His goal was to climb up Mount Baldy 1,000 times. I wonder if what he tried to pass onto us is his willingness to take on challenges with such a strong will.”

Dong-young said he feels worse now that he truly understands what his father wanted to leave behind. April 16 is Seok-du’s 80th birthday, but the family is preparing a funeral instead of a birthday party.

“I went to take my father’s car that was parked near the mountain yesterday with my wife and children,” Dong-young said. “As soon as I began entering Mount Baldy, I almost felt like my dad was there. It’s hard to explain in words. I just started shedding tears. Mount Baldy is now my dad’s mountain.”

Dong-young plans to go hiking as often as possible with his children.
“This is not a mountain where my father passed away,” he said. “This is where he is now."






By Koohyun Chung