A Desperate Father’s Quest: Unraveling the Mystery of His Missing Daughter in South Korea

A 17-year-old girl with a clean bob and soft eyes was shown in the blue-and-yellow banners that fluttered across South Korea, her smile immortalized. For a quarter century, the urgency of the red lettering next to her photo never waned.

“Help me locate Song Hye-hee, please!” Song Gil-yong, her father, dedicated his life to finding her after she disappeared one winter night in 1999. His face grew deeply wrinkled and tanned as he traveled the nation hanging flags and replacing those that had faded in the rain and sun.

As office workers rushed by, the banners, each about the length of a car, stretched across sidewalks. They received a glimpse of neon signs and streetlights after dark.

In his nation, Mr. Song became a symbol of parental devotion thanks to the banners. However, he incurred significant personal expenses. His spouse committed suicide. His bond with his oldest daughter broke down.

The savings Declined

With every new banner he purchased and every mile he traveled in his little white truck, his savings decreased. He pondered whether he would ever see Hye-hee again while he lay thin and worn out on a hospital bed this summer.

On February 13, 1999, Song Hye-hee, a sophomore at Songtan Girls’ High School in Pyeongtaek, a city south of Seoul, caught a bus home after supper with friends. She never showed up.

Because South Korean law only considers children missing if they are less than eight, the police labeled Hye-hee a runaway. Later on, that bar would be raised.

However, Mr. Song and his spouse were compelled to search for her independently due to the first police response. The police started looking into Hye-hee’s case as a possible kidnapping after Mr. Song begged for assistance a few days after she vanished.

However, they were unable to locate her. Her parents’ lives became entirely focused on the quest. They spent all of their savings on banners and flyers after selling their dog breeding company. They lived off of soju, cigarettes, and instant ramen noodles while they traversed the nation, draping banners from utility poles and wayside trees.