Young filmmaker's death draws public sympathy

By Kim Tae-jong

"It's shameful but I haven't eaten anything for days. Please knock on the door if you have any cooked rice and kimchi to share". It was a note written and hung on an apartment door by a short film director and screenwriter who was found dead by a neighbor.

The 32-year-old short film director died after long suffering from chronic diseases and financial difficulties.

Choi Ko-eun, director of "Passionate Sonata" (2006), was found dead by a neighbor on Jan. 29 in her house in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, and her body was cremated on Feb. 1 in accordance with the wishes of the deceased.

Her death is drawing public sympathy and causing a stir on the Internet, with hundreds of netizens posting messages mourning her death.

According to Anyang Police Station, she had suffered from hyperthyroidism and pancreatitis but received no proper medical treatment.

Police also suspect that she had not eaten for several days before dying, which they think may have been the key cause of her death.

"When we visited her house, she was very thin. We suspect she starved to death, especially suffering from chronic diseases. But the more accurate cause of death will be confirmed when the autopsy result is released in three weeks", a police officer said.

Upon the tragic news of her death, movie industry officials and Internet users posted countless messages on their blogs and message boards to express their condolences.

They said her death disclosed the poor working conditions in the movie industry.

"She was younger than me. She starved to death in a cold room. I can't help but cry. How could this happen?" actress Kim Yeo-jin said in a post on her Twitter account.

She made her debut with "Passionate Sonata" in 2006, which earned her the Face in Shorts Award at the 4th Asiana International Short Film Festival. After graduating from Korea National University of Arts in 2007, she also worked as a screenwriter.


젊은 영화 감독 생활고 끝에 사망

"창피하지만, 며칠째 아무것도 못 먹어서 남는 밥이랑 김치가 있으면 저희 집 문 좀 두들겨 주세요". 이것은 사망한 체 발견된, 단편영화 감독이자 시나리오 작가의 문에 적혀 있던 메모이다.

32세의 영화 감독은 오랜 생활고와 지병에 시달리다 사망했다.

"열정의 소나타"의 감독인 최고은씨는 1월 29일 경기도 안양의 자신의 월세 집에서 사망한 것이 이웃 주민에 의해 발견되었다. 그녀의 시신은 2월 1일 평소 유언대로 화장되었다.