"Please Find Kim Hwiseong"…Five Days Since High School Senior Missing in Bundang, No Card Usage Records

A flyer searching for Kim Hweseong, who went missing in Bundang, Seongnam. Photo by Social Networking Service (SNS)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Seoyoung] A high school senior boy in Bundang, Seongnam has been missing for five days, and the police have launched an investigation.

According to the Bundang Police Station on the 26th, Kim Hwiseong, a third-year student at Bundang Seohyeon High School, lost contact after leaving school around 5 p.m. on the 22nd. The Bundang Police Station stated, "We are confirming Kim Hwiseong’s whereabouts," and added, "We have deployed 57 police officers and 2 search dogs to track his movements."

Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage near a bus stop showed that on the day of his disappearance, Kim purchased a book at Yeongpung Bookstore in Bundang Seohyeon and then moved to AK Plaza, but his whereabouts after that remain unknown. The police have begun securing black box footage to trace his route and are also searching nearby hills and parks around his residence, considering the possibility that he may have returned home.

It was confirmed that Kim recharged his bus card after school but did not board a bus separately. There is also no record of him using his father’s card, which he usually carries. Additionally, his cellphone was left in a school drawer and was found at school the day after his disappearance, on the 22nd. The police stated, "There were no reports of school violence involving Kim. There is a statement that he was scolded by his father the day before his disappearance over career-related issues," and added, "We are keeping all possibilities open beyond simple runaway and are conducting a thorough search."

His family is spreading the news of Kim’s disappearance by posting on various online communities and the national petition board. According to the missing person flyer released by the family, Kim, approximately 180 cm tall, was wearing a gray school uniform of Seohyeon High School and white Nike sneakers at the time of his disappearance. They explained that if he changed clothes, he might be wearing a navy tracksuit or other casual clothes and could appear as an adult.

Earlier, on the 25th, a petition titled "Please find the missing third-year student of Seohyeon High School" was posted on the Blue House petition board. The petitioner appealed, "This may not be a simple impulsive runaway of a high school senior," and "The longer time passes, the higher the possibility of involvement in a crime," urging, "We ask for your active interest and sharing so that the investigation can proceed vigorously."

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