THE family of a murdered Korean university student hired security guards to patrol a memorial service yesterday amid fears of revenge attacks targeting the teenager's film-star brother and friends.
Korean teen idol Lee Dong-gun held a photograph of his younger brother Lee Joon-yub
as he led a procession of more than than 100 mourners after a requiem mass
at the St Johns College chapel, inside the University of Sydney.
The slaying has become headline news in Seoul and threatens to tarnish Sydney's safe image, with the city home to the second largest population of international Korean students outside the UK.
At the Lee family's request, a team of security guards was recruited to patrol the St Johns College chapel and surrounding grounds.
Sources told The Daily Telegraph there were fears of potential retribution following the arrest and charging of two 18-year-old Carlingford youths over the attack at World Square last Thursday.
Pall bearers asked for their identities to be suppressed. Police yesterday maintained denials there was any link between the slaying and Asian crime gangs.
The killing has become headline news in Korea, where Lee Dong-gun's brother is a household name, with fan websites inundated with condolences and messages of support.
Lee Joon-yub, 19, collapsed and died on the footpath outside World Square after he and a friend became embroiled in a brawl with two teenagers at Hungry Jacks.
The teenager's 22-year-old friend, Song Jung-ho, was also stabbed in the chest and managed to flee to a Korean store before collapsing, the images dramatically captured by surveillance cameras.
He was among mourners at the memorial service after being released from hospital just 24 hours earlier, following surgery to a chest wound.
A Korean priest led the mass with two nuns, who helped support Lee's grieving parents. The heartbroken couple flew into Sydney last week and will return home to Seoul with their son's ashes.
Following the service yesterday morning, Lee Dong-gun - a heart-throb to millions of adolescent Korean girls - emerged choking back tears and clutching a photograph of his brother, while his father wailed in grief.
Korean journalist Ken Lim told The Daily Telegraph Lee family and friends feared they may be targeted by Chinese gang members. Mr Lee said the slaying had tarnished Australia's image in Seoul. Australia has the second largest population of expatriate Korean students behind that of London.
Mr Lee said more than 25,000 Korean university and English language students lived in Sydney. "Korean people have a clean image of Australia but this has tarnished it," Mr Lee said. "People are worried about the security in the city centre where there are gangs."
Source: The Daily Telegraph, thanks to the highlight by mikasaranghae at LDG thread
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/stor...5006009,00.html
