Sejun Park, a 55-year-old Korean American veteran who served in the US Army and received a Purple Heart, is experiencing worsened post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms after his recent voluntary deportation to Korea under threats from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Park had been living in Hawaii as a lawful permanent resident. However, after convictions for drug possession and violating bail conditions, he received a deportation order. Following recent warnings of detention and deportation from ICE, he voluntarily departed the US last week.
Now staying at a guesthouse in Seoul, Park is in daily contact with his children and communicates with his mother through help from Korean relatives. Still, he struggles with Korean, has difficulty adjusting to daily life, and feels so ashamed of being deported that he avoids contact with relatives.
In an interview with NBC, Park said, “I am still suffering from PTSD. Tears come out for no reason, and I can’t control it.” He added, “I don’t regret getting shot or joining the military. That was part of the life that made me who I am.”
Meanwhile, Park’s attorney, Danikol Ramos, explained that although a recent Second Circuit Court of Appeals decision means drug possession is no longer grounds for deportation, his bail violation is considered a felony, creating a major barrier to reopening his case.
Park and his legal team are currently requesting retrial and conviction reversal from the Queens County District Attorney’s Office in New York.
BY BRIAN CHOI [choi.inseong@koreadaily.com]
