Frustrated by a fall in prices of hanwoo, or South Korea’s local breed of cattle, and a surge in feed costs, a 41-year-old farmer in Hampyeong, South Jeollla (sic) Province, committed suicide by drinking herbicide. It was the second suicide committed by a livestock farmer following the South Korean government’s decision to fully reopen its market to U.S. beef last month.
The 41-year-old farmer, who is only identified by his surname Lee and lives in the town of Wolbong-ri, Nasan-myeon, Hampyeong County, was found dead in his home after drinking herbicide at approximately 4:40 a.m. on May 5. Immediately before his suicide, Lee allegedly attempted to kill his 36-year-old wife, who is from the Philippines, and his three children by beating them with a farm-machine implement. The four members of his family were sleeping at the time.
According to local police, Lee’s wife and an 8-year-old daughter suffered minor head injuries. Lee’s 7-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter were hospitalized at Hampyeong Seongshim Hospital after being seriously wounded.
Damn, the FTA really drove him over the edge. Oh, wait, nevermind:
Local residents said that, Lee, who started raising cattle some 10 years ago, had been aggrieved over the loss of all 18 of his cattle since August last year, when the spread of brucellosis forced him to slaughter 14 of the 18 and sell the remaining four.
According to the Yonhap report the other suicide was in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi-do. Can't say I approve of how the family-bludgeoning angle was glossed over in favor of the anti-American one. No word yet on how many suicides can be tied to the bird-flu cases in Hampyeong and the Jeollas, and no word yet on how they will be spun to reflect poorly on South Korea's ally.
Only tangentially related, but worth mentioning that, according to a Joongang Ilbo article from a couple of years ago, 37.6% of marriages in Hampyeong in 2004 were international.
(HT to The Marmot's Hole.)
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