The sky was always beyond the prison walls. The young man, less than twenty years old, had just turned forty behind bars.
When Andrew Suh, 50, a longtime Korean-American prisoner serving a 100-year sentence (later reduced to 80 years on appeal) for shooting and killing his sister’s housemate (boyfriend), walked out of prison on January 26.
Suh looked up at the sky when he was released from prison, according to his stepfather, Elder Han-Cheol Kim (Grace Presbyterian Church). The Korea Daily spoke with Elder Kim twice by phone on January 27 and 30. While preparing for a press conference with Suh, Elder Kim first shared his plans for the future.
(At the time of the first phone interview with Elder Kim at 9 a.m. on January 27, the police had asked Suh to stay home and refrain from contacting anyone. An in-person interview was not possible. It was not until the 29th that the ban was fully lifted.)
The following is an edited excerpt from the interview.
-What is Andrew Suh doing now?
“Suh was originally asked to refrain from going out for about a month, but it was lifted yesterday (January 29), which was faster than I expected. I went to the DMV with a church member to apply for an ID, open a bank account, and apply for a driver’s license. There is so much to do.”
-When will Suh be able to talk about his feelings?
“Suh was incarcerated when he was 19, so everything is new to him. When Suh got out, he didn’t sleep for two days. Suh said that everything is new and he still feels like he’s dreaming. Suh needs to stabilize himself psychologically first. He needs time to adjust to reality. Please understand. A lot of people, including the media, want to get in touch with him, so he needs time to let go of the pressure. At some point, we’ll have a press conference with Andrew himself.”
-How did you feel when you saw Andrew Suh leaving the prison?
(Elder Kim first met Suh in May 1997. Suh had been incarcerated for four years. From then on, Elder Kim took him under his wing. He gave him spiritual advice and helped him lead an exemplary life in prison.)
“The prison warden and four prison guards waved me and Andrew off, saying, ‘We wish you success in society.’ As soon as he got out, Andrew looked up to the sky, raised his hands, and prayed, thanking God. I had tears in my eyes. I said, ‘Son, you’ve been through so much,’ and I hugged Andrew tightly.”
-What plans does Suh have?
“Andrew always prayed with vows. He said he was going to do God’s work, like youth ministry. As a father, I was worried at first, but Andrew’s mind is so firm. So now I’m praying for him and helping him. I want him to be the kind of son who reaches out to many people with the love of Jesus. He is now preparing to go to seminary.”
-What kind of help do you need?
“I have been retired for a long time. Even though I am a father, I can’t take care of Andrew fully on my own. Most of all, I want the Korean people to pray for him and support him. I would also like to see some financial support for him to go to seminary. I want to be transparent about everything in case there are people who want to help. I’ve also asked if we can use a church account so that the support can go through our church and not through me.”
-What did Suh do after he was released from prison?
“I went to a Korean restaurant and ate soon tofu and bibimbap with him. When the food came out, he ate kimchi first. I thought, yeah, of course, he is Korean. After we finished eating, we went to church. We went to the main hall of Grace Church, and he knelt down with me, and we prayed together. Andrew’s tears were falling like rain as he prayed. Afterward, the pastor came and hugged him and prayed with him.”
For those who want to help Andrew Suh, reach out to (224) 522-9135
BY YEOL JANG, JUNHAN PARK [jang.yeol@koreadaily.com]
