"It is said that if a grain falls to the ground and does not rot, it can produce many seeds."

Shin Yoon-chan, the mother of the righteous man Lee Soo-hyun (1974-2001), who lost his life while trying to save a Japanese man who had fallen onto the tracks, attended a memorial service held at Tokyo's Shin-Okubo Station on the 26th, marking the 25th anniversary of his passing. Speaking to reporters afterward, she said, "My son is gone, but I hope that by participating in events related to the friendship between our two countries, the relationship will gradually improve."

On the 26th, marking the 25th anniversary of the righteous man Lee Soo-hyun's passing, his mother, Shin Yoon-chan (second from left in the front row), and Lee Hyuk (first from left in the front row), the South Korean Ambassador to Japan, visited the accident site on the platform of JR Shin-Okubo Station in Tokyo to observe a moment of silence. [Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Japan]

Regarding recent relations between the two countries, she commented, "There have been ups and downs, but I believe they have improved significantly compared to the past." She added, "My son used to say that if both countries dwell too much on the past, it would be detrimental to both."

To carry on the will of the deceased, who dreamed of serving as a bridge between the two nations, Shin has attended the memorial service every year, with the exception of certain periods, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On this day, she laid flowers at her son's memorial plaque at Shin-Okubo Station, along with Lee Hyuk, the South Korean Ambassador to Japan, the LSH Asia Scholarship Foundation named after the deceased, and representatives from the Shinjuku Korean Merchants Association.

JR East, the railway company, has inscribed on the plaque in both Korean and Japanese: "Korean exchange student Lee Soo-hyun and cameraman Shiro Sekine sacrificed their precious lives while trying to save others. We leave this message here to eternally commemorate the noble spirit and brave actions of these two individuals."

The Sekine family had initially joined the memorial events after the accident, but it is reported that later, citing reasons such as the mother's advanced age, they refrained from attending.

Ambassador Lee Hyuk stated, "It would be good if both countries could cooperate more by emulating the sacrifice of these two individuals." He also noted, "The fact that the Japanese side facilitates the annual memorial service at such a small train station is also commendable."

On the 26th, marking the 25th anniversary of the righteous man Lee Soo-hyun's passing, his mother, Shin Yoon-chan, and Lee Hyuk, the South Korean Ambassador to Japan, laid flowers in front of the memorial plaque installed within JR Shin-Okubo Station in Tokyo, the site of the accident. 

Following the memorial service, a cultural memorial event was held at a small venue near Shin-Okubo Station, organized by the Shinjuku Korean Merchants Association.

In a eulogy for the memorial culture festival, read by Tokyo Consul General Kim Hyun-sook, Ambassador Lee emphasized, "The actions of these two individuals sowed seeds of solidarity and empathy in the hearts of the people of both countries." He added, "Following the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations last year, the two countries are now moving towards enhancing the quality and expanding the scope of cooperation."

He further stated, "If both countries walk together, inheriting the righteous and warm spirit of the deceased, the relationship between South Korea and Japan will become even more mature."