Family of Woman in Her 20s Who Died During Half Marathon Seeks Witnesses ... "Even a Small Memory Could Be a Valuable Clue"

The family: "We want to establish exactly what happened and how emergency treatment was handled"

The late Yoo Jiwon. Screenshot from Instagram.

The family of a woman in her 20s who collapsed and died about 500 meters from the finish line during the Seoul Race Half Marathon on October 11 has begun looking for witnesses to establish what happened at the time of the incident.

A post titled “The family of the late athlete Yoo Jiwon is looking for witnesses” was recently uploaded to the online community Ppomppu. The writer, identified as A, introduced herself as Yoo’s aunt.

“My niece suddenly collapsed about 500 meters before reaching the finish line and ultimately left us,” A wrote. “We are now trying to accurately establish the circumstances of the incident, the emergency treatment at the scene, and what happened before and after the ambulance arrived.”

A added, “Was anyone near the finish line at the time, or did anyone witness the moment my niece collapsed, the emergency treatment at the scene, the paramedics’ arrival, or her transport? We would also be grateful to hear from anyone who took photos or videos of the scene or knows anything about what happened.”

“Even a small memory or a seemingly minor detail could be a very valuable clue for our family,” A said, stressing, “We are making this request to establish the exact facts of the incident, and we will carefully protect the identities and personal information of anyone who comes forward.”

Yoo was a running influencer born in 2001 who was attending the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). At about 8:49 a.m. on October 11, she collapsed at the 20.6-kilometer mark while taking part in the half-marathon course at the Seoul Race.

An event official who found Yoo called 119, and CPR was performed at the scene. However, Yoo never regained consciousness and died the following day after being taken to a nearby hospital.

The organizing committee for the 2026 Seoul Race previously issued an official statement saying, “After receiving emergency treatment at the scene, she was transported by a 119 ambulance to a medical facility for treatment. Unfortunately, she passed away. The organizing committee will carefully review the relevant circumstances and continue to take any necessary follow-up measures.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.