Young Korean-American in critical condition after unprovoked attack in Paris

A young Korean-American man is in critical condition after being attacked in Paris.

According to Seattle local media KIRO7, 21-year-old Justin Han was severely assaulted while visiting Paris, France, for a vacation on February 23 and is now in a coma in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a local hospital.

The victim’s mother, Mimi Yang, said, “While growing up, he fell in love with fashion and design. His dream trip was to the fashion capital of the world.”

Han’s family lives near Seattle, Washington, and he reportedly resides in Arizona.

Yang also said, “It’s been a years’ long dream of his to visit Paris,” Yang said. “Justin worked hard, saved money.”

One day, Yang received a phone call from the U.S. Embassy in Paris. Her son had been assaulted and was lying unconscious in the ICU.

“As far as I understand, it was physical force,” she said. “He hit his head on the ground as well. But even after he was down, the assailant continued to attack and punch him,” Yang said.

“I heard about it three days after the incident,” she said, adding, “I grew very concerned because it’s uncharacteristic of him not to check in with me.”

Yang said she was pinned to the wall in shock when she heard the news. She immediately called his brother in the UK and asked him to come to her son.

“Because I thought in the event my son died, I didn’t want him to be alone,” she said.

Arriving in Paris the next day, Yang said she knew her son was in a coma, but it was painful to see him bruised, bandaged, and with tubes all over his body. “There’s nothing worse than seeing your child in this state,” she said, emotionally.

More than two weeks later, Han is awake and responsive. He’s eating and recognizing his mother. But he’s still confused and thinks he and his family are in Seattle, his mother, Yang, said.

Kat Kim, a relative of Han’s, has now set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for Han’s international medical expenses.

“My nephew Justin has undergone two resuscitative neurosurgeries, including a decompression craniectomy, and required multiple blood transfusions,” said Kat Kim on the GoFundMe page. “He’ll likely spend another 3-4 weeks in the ICU followed by months of rehabilitation and treatment.

“As our family navigates through this challenging time, we’re faced with the harsh reality of mounting medical expenses. Therefore, we’re humbly reaching out to our community for support through this GoFundMe campaign,” she said. With a goal of $35,000, the campaign has raised $26,675 as of 1:30 p.m. on March 12.

It is unclear when Han will be able to return home.

According to the victims’ families, Paris police have arrested the suspect, who has been identified as a French citizen, but the motive for the attack is still unknown.

To help: www.gofundme.com/f/justin-hans-recovery

BY SUAH JANG, JUNHAN PARK    [jang.suah@koreadaily.com]