Police Announce Forensic Results of Son Jeongmin's Friend's Phone: "No Anomalies"... Investigating How It Was Found

No Mobile Phone Use or Movement at 3:37 AM on Day of Disappearance
Confirming Date and Location of Item Found from Sanitation Worker

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[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, the digital forensic analysis of friend A’s cellphone revealed no abnormalities. Additionally, the police are investigating the circumstances with the sanitation worker who found the cellphone.

A Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency official told reporters on the 1st, "The forensic results showed no evidence of discord with Son or any content related to a motive for the crime on the cellphone," and added, "It was confirmed that the phone was turned off at 7:02 a.m. on April 25, the day Son went missing, and was not turned back on afterward."

He continued, "There were no traces of cellphone use after around 3:37 a.m. (after A called A’s mother), and the health application, which activates when the phone is moved, last recorded activity at 3:36 a.m., indicating no movement until the phone was turned off," and explained, "The results of bloodstain, DNA, and fingerprint analyses requested from the National Forensic Service have not yet been received."

The police also explained the approximate time the sanitation worker found A’s cellphone and the reason for the delayed report. A police official said, "The sanitation worker stated that the phone was found between the 10th and 15th of last month and later said it was likely on the 11th," adding, "Regarding the location where it was found, the worker mentioned about two places, and we plan to verify the time and location of discovery through CCTV footage and base station connection data." He further explained, "The worker knew that the phone was being searched for but forgot that it had been placed in a locker due to sick leave. When a colleague found and submitted a different phone, the worker then remembered and submitted the phone as well."

Regarding the legal hypnosis conducted on the sanitation worker the previous day, the official said, "We have not yet received the final results, but the prosecutor has deemed it inadmissible," and added, "The reason is that we need to review the test results, and there was no meaningful content from the hypnosis investigation."

Furthermore, the police official added, "The seven teams from the violent crimes division will continue their activities for the time being and plan to do everything necessary to confirm the facts."

On the 30th of last month, Seocho Police Station secured A’s cellphone after receiving a report from a staff member at the Banpo Information Center in Hangang Park that a sanitation worker had found and submitted it. Although there was a possibility that the cellphone could provide clues to the whereabouts of Son and A on the day of the disappearance, its location had been unknown. On the morning of April 25, the day Son went missing, A made a call to his parents at around 3:30 a.m. using his cellphone, then fell asleep again and later returned home alone carrying only Son’s cellphone. The police have been conducting search operations in cooperation with the navy and others.

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