On the October 8 broadcast of SBS's "Tails of Tales," the show covered the 2008 Mumbai attacks under the subtitle "Burning Mumbai: Koreans Trapped in the Terror."
On the night of November 26, 2008, gunshots echoed across Mumbai, the financial heart of India. Simultaneous terror attacks erupted across densely populated locations, ranging from luxury hotels to a train station and cafes.
Inside the Taj Mahal Hotel, one of Mumbai's most luxurious hotels, around 1,000 people—including guests, hotel employees, and Korean nationals attending a Korea-India business friendship association event—were left trapped.
Often referred to as India's 9/11, the Mumbai attacks were an indiscriminate assault lasting 60 hours. Kang Ki-taek, who was serving as a consul at the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Mumbai at the time, was also there.
As the attacks unfolded with the apparent goal of inflicting maximum casualties over the longest possible time, around 100 guests, including 19 Koreans, took refuge together inside the Taj Mahal Hotel's banquet hall. Meanwhile, Kim Jung-hyun of the Korea Trade Promotion Corporation contacted four Koreans who had departed earlier to confirm their safety.
Those four Koreans had left the hall earlier and headed to a coffee shop in the hotel's older wing. Just as they took their first sip of coffee, terrorists entered the hotel, leaving the four trapped inside the cafe alongside other international guests.
The four Koreans inside the hotel cafe built a barricade to protect everyone hiding there and sought every possible way to survive.
Going from room to room killing innocent people, the terrorists strictly followed the ruthless instructions of their handler in an organized and calculated manner.
Armed with rifles and throwing grenades, the terrorists continued their killings. In response, the Indian government decided to deploy its elite counter-terrorism unit, the Black Cats. However, their arrival from New Delhi to Mumbai was expected to take several hours.
During that time, hotel staff guided around 200 guests to The Chambers, an exclusive private members-only club that only the staff knew how to reach.
Because the employees thoroughly understood the layout of the hotel, they could have escaped at any moment. Instead, they chose to remain with the guests. For them, leaving the guests behind was never an option.
The hotel staff even handed out cold towels and prepared sandwiches for the guests. They reassured them, saying, "Don't worry, everything will be all right. It is our duty to protect our guests." Yet when gathered only among themselves, the staff held onto one another, struggling to suppress their trembling.
When the terrorists began setting fires, an escape plan was formed in the banquet hall. A professional security team visiting the hotel for a cricket tournament was inside the banquet hall, and they stepped up to lead everyone out safely.
Soon after, a mass evacuation began down the emergency stairwell. Leading the escape for the Korean nationals was Consul Kang Ki-taek. He took the lead with a single thought: "If someone has to die, it should be me."
Those who escaped five hours after the terror began felt overwhelming relief at surviving, and the security team members who guided them felt immense joy that everyone made it out unharmed.
However, the relief was brief for Consul Kang Ki-taek, who stayed behind to wait for the safe evacuation of the four Koreans still trapped inside the hotel.
At the same time, the staff at The Chambers were assisting guests in their escape. Notably, the employees linked arms in front of the guests, forming a human shield.
Just as most of the people were escaping, terrorists appeared at The Chambers. A politician remaining inside had conducted a live phone interview with a news broadcast, and word of this reached the terrorists, prompting them to attack The Chambers.
At the sudden gunfire, hotel employees directed the escaping guests back into The Chambers. Some staff members ran in various directions to distract the gunmen, and seven innocent employees lost their lives in the process.
As time passed, firefighters appeared outside the hotel cafe's window, attempting a rescue using a ladder truck. The four Koreans, who were closest to the window, only exited the cafe after assisting others in escaping first.
After verifying the safety of the four Koreans, Consul Kang Ki-taek returned to the consulate. With attacks still ongoing, he was concerned for the safety of other Korean nationals who might be elsewhere across Mumbai.
The following morning, the Black Cats finally entered the Taj Mahal Hotel. Sixty hours after the terror began, all attacks were finally brought to an end.
The Mumbai attacks claimed over 170 lives and left more than 300 injured. Out of ten terrorists, nine were killed and one was captured alive; the captured assailant was only 21 years old. He confessed that he had taken part in the attack for money.
While some killed innocent people for their own objectives, others risked everything to save lives without any personal motive.
The broadcast concluded by sharing a video message of gratitude from a survivor to one of the security team members who helped guide the banquet hall guests to safety. Watching the message, the security guard was deeply moved to tears.
He drew attention by saying, "Even if I went back, I would make the same choice," adding, "To me, that night represented the sanctity of human life itself, and the essential importance of solidarity and cooperation between people."
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.