Police Conduct Forensic Analysis on Missing University Student's Cell Phone at Hangang Park

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] The police will conduct digital forensics on the cellphone of university student Son Jeong-min (22), who went missing after falling asleep at Seoul Hangang Park and was later found dead.

According to the police on the 3rd, the Seocho Police Station in Seoul plans to begin forensic work on Son's cellphone on this day. Additionally, if necessary, the police are expected to summon Son's friend A, who drank with him on the day of the incident, for questioning.

Currently, the police are also investigating various suspicions raised online. On the 1st, after summoning and questioning one high school student and two middle school students captured on nearby closed-circuit television (CCTV) around the time Son was last seen, the police concluded that they were unrelated to the disappearance case. These individuals, who are senior and junior acquaintances in the neighborhood, stated that they were merely running around Hangang Park during the early morning hours and do not clearly remember if anyone was beside them at the time. They also said there was no altercation with anyone.

Online, a 1 minute and 5 second video recorded by CCTV installed at a bicycle rental station next to a convenience store in Banpo Hangang Park around 4:30 a.m. on the 25th of last month has been widely circulated. The video shows three men running quickly along the riverside road, leading some netizens to speculate that they might be related to Son's disappearance.

Son drank with a friend at Banpo Hangang Park from around 11 p.m. on the 24th of last month until about 2 a.m. the next day, after which he fell asleep. Around 4:30 a.m., the friend woke up and went home, but Son was missing. Later, on the afternoon of the 30th of last month, Son's body was found. It was reported that his clothing was the same as when he disappeared.

There were two finger-joint-sized wounds behind the left ear of the body. The National Forensic Service, which conducted an autopsy on Son's body, reportedly gave a preliminary verbal opinion stating that "due to the body's decomposition, the cause of death cannot be determined visually," and clarified that the wounds on the head were not the direct cause of death. The National Forensic Service is conducting a detailed examination of samples taken from the body to determine the exact cause of death. The results are expected to be released around mid-month.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.