2004-2018 From Chaok
January 16, 2022
by Chaok Seok
2004년 10월 제주도에서 열린 대한화학회에서 내 친구 함시현 교수를 처음 만났고, 2018년 11월 고등과학원 단백질학회에서 마지막으로 만났습니다. 만난 횟수는 아마 백 번은 아니어도 오십 번은 넘을 것 같습니다. 그녀와 많은 시간을 보냈고, 많은 이야기를 나누었습니다. 그녀는 항상 활기찼고, 나이에 어울리지 않게 성숙했고, 한없는 인내와 배려를 보여주었습니다. 어느 순간 내가 그녀를 '언니'라고 부르기로 했을 때 그녀는 정말 좋아했지요. 그런데 다른 사람들 앞에서 그러는게 좀 우스운 것 같아 다시 원래대로 돌아갔습니다. 돌이켜보면 나는 여러 면에서 참으로 부족했고, 그녀에게 받은 것을 제대로 돌려주지 못했습니다. 특히 그녀의 말년에 힘이 되어주지 못해서 너무 아쉽습니다. 나도 바쁜 시기였다고 변명을 해 봅니다만.. 2021년 1월 그녀의 영정사진을 마주할 자신이 없어 장례식장에 가지를 못했습니다. 대신 혼자 많이 울었습니다. 어제 1주기 추모 심포지엄 후 동료들과 봉안당홈에 들렀습니다. 시현, 당신은 항상 내 마음 속에 있어. 우리 마음 속에 남겨진 당신은 세상에 오래도록 이어질거야.
I first met my friend, Professor Sihyun Ham, at the Korean Chemical Society held in Jeju Island in October 2004, and last met at the KIAS Protein conference in November 2018. The number of times we met is probably not a hundred times, but more than fifty times. We spent a lot of time together and talked a lot. She was always energetic, mature for her age, and showed infinite patience and consideration. At one point I decided to call her 'sister' and she really liked it. But I thought it was funny to do it in front of other people, so I went back to normal. In retrospect, I was really lacking in many ways, and I couldn't give her back what I had been given. It's really unfortunate that I could not be of any help to her, especially in her later years. I try to make excuses that it was a busy time for me, but... I couldn't go to her funeral in January 2021 because I could not face her portrait. Instead, I cried a lot by myself. Yesterday, after the 1st memorial symposium, my colleagues and I stopped by the Bongandang Home. Sihyun, you are always in my heart. You, still alive in us, will last forever in our world.
I first met my friend, Professor Sihyun Ham, at the Korean Chemical Society held in Jeju Island in October 2004, and last met at the KIAS Protein conference in November 2018. The number of times we met is probably not a hundred times, but more than fifty times. We spent a lot of time together and talked a lot. She was always energetic, mature for her age, and showed infinite patience and consideration. At one point I decided to call her 'sister' and she really liked it. But I thought it was funny to do it in front of other people, so I went back to normal. In retrospect, I was really lacking in many ways, and I couldn't give her back what I had been given. It's really unfortunate that I could not be of any help to her, especially in her later years. I try to make excuses that it was a busy time for me, but... I couldn't go to her funeral in January 2021 because I could not face her portrait. Instead, I cried a lot by myself. Yesterday, after the 1st memorial symposium, my colleagues and I stopped by the Bongandang Home. Sihyun, you are always in my heart. You, still alive in us, will last forever in our world.