"Witness Fabricated Lies on the Day Son Jeongmin Went Missing"... Unconfirmed Suspicions Abound

Unfounded Speculations Raised About 'Golden Gun' Explanation
Experts Say "Active Explanation Needed"

Police forces are conducting a search of the mobile phone belonging to Son Jeong-min's friend near the water taxi dock at Banpo Hangang Park in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] Regarding the case of university student Son Jeong-min (22), who went missing at Hangang Park and was later found dead, unconfirmed suspicions continue to be raised online despite the police's announcement. Recently, as witnesses appeared claiming to have seen an unidentified man entering the Hangang River on the day of the disappearance, claims suggesting that "the police fabricated lies" have also surfaced.

On the 21st, a post appeared on an internet community implying that the police might have bribed witnesses. Previously, Seocho Police Station stated that they had secured a witness who saw an unidentified man enter the Hangang River around 4:40 a.m. on the 25th of last month, the day Son went missing. However, the post's author raised suspicions, saying, "It is strange that no report was made despite someone entering the water." They suggested that the witness was fabricated to cover up the crime of friend A, who was with Son until the end.

Experts judge that the possibility of the witness's testimony being false is slim. Professor Lim Myeong-ho of Dankook University's Department of Psychology explained, "When many people witness an event, silence or delayed reporting to emergency services like 119 often occurs due to the psychology of 'someone else will do it,' known as the bystander effect. Since seven witnesses saw the situation at the time, I believe their testimony is not false, and the bystander effect likely influenced the failure to report promptly."

The police also provided an explanation regarding the meaning of the "Golden Gun," but this too has failed to gain trust. The Golden Gun is a term appearing in the last video taken together by Son and A. Various interpretations have been suggested about its meaning. The police stated that the Golden Gun likely refers to a hip-hop artist. However, YouTubers have raised suspicions that the Golden Gun is related to the online game League of Legends, and that a conflict between Son and A over the game led to the crime. The police revealed that A's missing phone was an "iPhone 8 Space Gray," but there were claims for some time that a red iPhone found by a private investigator belonged to A and that the police were trying to conceal this.

Professor Lim said, "Looking at cases like the Jeong-in incident, the police have often disappointed people in the past, leading to skepticism. The police need to provide kind and proactive explanations to guarantee the public's right to know regarding suspicions and questions."

Professor Lee Geon-su of Baekseok University's Department of Police Science said, "Spreading unclear information can lead to legal responsibility, and applying past distrust to the current situation may cause people to lose faith in the police and public authority. Rather than simply denying or claiming the police's announcement is wrong, it is proper to first acknowledge it and then address any inaccuracies based on objective facts."

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