Rest in Peace, James Kim

UPDATE 12/6/06, 12:03 PT: “MERLIN, Ore. — The body of James Kim was found Wednesday, after a massive search effort for the missing San Francisco man in the Southern Oregon wilderness… Josephine County Undersheriff Brian Anderson said the body was found in the Big Windy Creek drainage at 12:03 p.m.”⁶ Words fail me during this emotional time. My thanks go out to all those involved both directly and indirectly in the search for James Kim, and my most heartfelt condolences go out to his family in this time of tragedy.

UPDATE 12/5/06, 17:14 PT: A pair of pants found in woods (thought to be those of James Kim) was said to be a good indication that searchers are in the right area. Kati Kim’s father told reporters that she kept her two children nourished and alive by breast feeding them when they got hungry.⁵

UPDATE 12/5/06, 12:27 PT: More details about why James Kim left is family instead of staying with his family at the car can be found in this MSNBC story: “Police said James Kim, 35, left the family in search of help on Saturday morning at approximately 7:45 a.m. He told his wife he would return by 1 p.m. if he was unsuccessful. He wearing tennis shoes, jeans and a heavy coat. … ‘[Trackers] determined that he went over the side of the road into the Big Windy Creek drainage area and that’s when the two deputies from Jackson County went over the edge and they are tracking his footprints right now,’ Josephine County Undersheriff Brian Anderson told KLAS-TV in Las Vegas, Nev., on Tuesday morning. … Oregon State Police Lt. Doug Ladd said there was ‘a very reasonable chance’ that Kim was still alive and that the family said he had some outdoor experience.”

UPDATE 12/5/06, 7:30am PT: “We’re up and hoping for good news, anxiously awaiting the success of the search and rescue team. I was able to speak with Kati briefly last night and she is in good spirits, worried and waiting, but joking with me in only the way that Kati can. The girls are in great shape. The Kim and Fleming’s primary concern now is to reunite the family. Kati’s mother, father and brother should be travelling [sic] to Oregon today to be with the family. I spoke off camera with one of the interviewers yesterday and we talked about how easy it is sometimes to be cynical in life, but how something like this really shows the true heart of people everywhere. There were so many times these few days where emails from people out there have had us crying and tearing up because of the sheer amount of love expressed – in many cases for a family they don’t even know. It has really kept us going and IS keeping us going. Thank you again for all of the support and to all of the people up in Oregon finding James right now.”¹

UPDATE: Mrs. Kim and their two children were found alive in a remote area of Oregon. James is still missing.²

James Kim and his family disappeared shortly after leaving on a road trip on Friday, November 17, 2006.

On Friday, November 17, 2006, James Kim, his wife, Kati Kim, and their children, Penelope Kim and Sabine Kim left on a road trip to Seattle, Washington. The family was expected to return to San Francisco on Monday, November 27th, 2006. When both James Kim and Kati Kim did not show up for their appointments on Tuesday, November 28th, it caused their co-workers to be worried for their safety. The Kim’s are known to always keep in touch daily either by phone or e-mail with their friends and co-workers. The last known whereabouts of the Kim family was in Roseburg, Oregon on Saturday afternoon, November 25, 2006, they were known to be heading to Gold Beach, Oregon for an overnight stay there. They were driving a 2005 silver Saab station wagon with California personalized plates of “DOE SF”.³

Anyone with information is asked to contact local authorities. See www.JamesAndKati.com for details.