This is a review article written based on materials provided by the broadcaster
The 29th episode of KBS Joy's "Ask Anything" 335 featured a storyteller who does special cleaning work and shared the hardships encountered while cleaning various incident and accident scenes such as solitary deaths.
The storyteller originally did regular cleaning work but started special cleaning after encountering an article about solitary deaths on TV. "I thought the country provided posthumous management, but I learned that private companies are in charge. If someone has to do it, I thought we should do it," he said.
Special cleaning goes beyond simple cleaning; it involves tidying spaces where mental and hygienic risks coexist, such as solitary death scenes, fire scenes and animal excrement contamination. The storyteller said they receive an average of 150 to 200 requests a year, explaining that 40% are youth hoarder homes, 40% are solitary deaths and belongings cleanup, and the remaining 20% are other cases.
He said he worked at a solitary death scene three days earlier and found a small dog that had guarded its owner in the home of a man in his early 40s who was found a week after his death. The storyteller said he personally rescued and even adopted the dog, confessing, "Seeing that made me feel so bad." Hearing this, Seo Jang-hoon expressed sorrow, saying, "So the dog went without food for a week?"
The storyteller also said he cannot forget the solitary death scene of a man in his early 20s. He said, "There was a note on the wall next to the bed in the semi-basement room that read, 'I want to live in a room with sunlight. I really wanted to live,'" and recalled that everyone ran out of the scene in shock at the time.
When asked whether he sees corpses directly, the storyteller said, "I don't see them directly, but in summer they decompose and you encounter remaining body parts. You sometimes find scalp tissue, fingers, teeth and fingernails," conveying the horror of the scene vividly.
Lee Sugeun nodded, saying, "It's not an easy job," and Seo Jang-hoon sympathized, saying, "People that age seldom face death directly, and experiencing such scenes must be emotionally difficult." The storyteller revealed that many colleagues actually quit, saying some people who came to learn the job saw the horrific scenes and ran away.
Seo Jang-hoon advised, "No one wants their end to remain dirty. If you think of it as tidying things up for those who may be watching from above, it may bring some comfort." He added, "Whenever you feel various emotions, thinking, 'I am doing work to help these people,' might make it a bit easier."
Lee Sugeun said, "It's not that it's about the money, but since it's paid work you need professional spirit," and offered practical advice: "As the representative, you must develop strong mental resilience to provide stability to your colleagues rather than being shaken along with them." The MCs warmly encouraged the storyteller, saying, "This is a good and rewarding job. Those people will surely be grateful."
Airs every Monday at 8:30 p.m. on KBS Joy.<
[Photo] "Ask Anything"
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