NY Subway Push: Ki Suk Han Killed After Being Pushed In Front of Subway, and the NY Post Hits Rock Bottom

Culture

Trying to identify the low point in the long and not-so illustrious history of the New York Post is not an easy task. Each day the editors seem intent on coming up with a trashier front page headline than they had featured the day before. But on Tuesday, the notorious rag managed to lower the bar to previously unseen depths by featuring a photograph of the last moments of Ki Suk Han, 58, before he was crushed by a southbound Q train at the 49th Street subway station in Midtown. Han had been pushed into the path of the oncoming train by a demented man who, when he is caught, should have his head displayed on a pike in Times Square.

Stay classy, Post.

As you can see, after he was pushed onto the tracks, there was enough time for Han to place his hands on the platform and look directly at the oncoming train. He was photographed by Post freelance photographer R. Umar Abassi, who had been recording an argument between Han and the unidentified man. According to the Post, "Abbasi — who had been waiting on the platform of the 49th Street station — ran toward the train, repeatedly firing off his flash to warn the operator."

To warn the operator? Or get some more good shots?

Look, I wasn't there. I shouldn't be speculating on who or what could've saved this man. Abbasi took the photo in the duration of a few dramatic moments. But that hardly means the editors had to put it on their front page, accompanied by text that's more appropriate for a promo for an episode of CSI: New York (or this episode of Homocide: Life on the Street from back in the day) than an edition of the New York Post.