U.S. tabloid under fire for photo of man’s last moments

A full-page photo on the cover of a U.S. tabloid that captured the last moments of a man scrabbling to escape an oncoming train has been heavily criticized for its insensitivity.

Han Ki-suk, 58, was hit by a train on Monday after being pushed onto the tracks at the Times Square subway station by a stranger with whom he had been arguing. The victim was taken to Roosevelt Hospital but pronounced dead shortly after the incident.

The suspect, Nieem Davis, who appeared to have a mental disorder, was taken into custody on Tuesday and confessed to shoving the victim onto the tracks. He has yet to be charged.

The New York Post published the shocking photo taken by freelance photographer R. Umar Abbasi, who had been waiting for a train at the scene, on the cover of its Tuesday edition.

In the picture, Han, who failed to climb out in time, is seen watching the oncoming train helplessly.

A callous headline that read, “Pushed on the subway track, this man is about to die ― DOOMED,” and the decision to publish the photo offended not only New Yorkers, but also Korean citizens. While his nationality was not reported, the victim’s name pointed to a Korean background.

CNN’s Soledad O’Brien tweeted: “I think it’s terribly disturbing ― imagine if that were your father or brother.’” Larry King reached out to followers on Twitter to ask: “Did the @nypost go too far?”

“(I’m) Outraged. Anyone who takes advantage of someone’s death will get payback,” a South Korean citizen wrote on Twitter.

Abbasi defended his conduct, and said that he used the flash on his camera to try to stop the train driver.

“I just wanted to warn the train ― to try and save a life.”

By Park Han-na (hnpark@heraldcorp.com)