Missing Elementary Student Family's Whereabouts Unknown for Six Days... Search Area and Personnel Expanded

Gwangju Police Deploy Over 140 Officers from 2 Mobile Units and 10 Underwater Forensic Investigators

Plans to Verify Surrounding Witnesses as Well as Communication, Finance, Insurance, and Medical Records

Jona Cho (10), residing in Nam-gu, Gwangju. Photo by National Police Agency, captured from the 'Safety Dream' website.

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] As the whereabouts of an elementary school student family from Gwangju who went on an outdoor experiential learning trip to Jeju Island remain unknown on the sixth day of police investigation, the police have decided to expand the search area and deploy additional personnel.

On the 27th, according to the Gwangju Nambu Police Station, in addition to the existing personnel, more than 140 officers from two mobile units of the Gwangju Police Agency and 10 underwater forensic investigators will be deployed to find 10-year-old Jo Yuna and her family.

Additionally, two teams from the Gwangju Police Agency’s Violent Crime Investigation Unit will be added to the investigation team to conduct inquiries with acquaintances of the missing family and to check communication, financial, insurance, and medical records.

The Nambu Police Station received the missing person report on the 22nd and investigated the family’s residence mobile phone base stations, vehicle routes, and ship boarding records, but no clues to their whereabouts have been identified so far.

The family stayed at a pension located in Sinji-myeon, Wando, from the 24th of last month and again on the 29th to 30th, and it was confirmed that they checked out at 10:57 PM on the 30th.

The next day, on the 31st, the family’s mobile phones were sequentially turned off near the pension. Jo’s phone was disconnected at 12:40 AM on the 31st, the mother Lee’s at 1:09 AM, and the father Jo’s at around 4:16 AM.

The silver Audi A6 (03오8447) used by the family did not appear in the closed-circuit television (CCTV) analysis, so the search is relying on patrol personnel.

The Nambu Police have cooperated with the Jeonnam Police Agency (Wando Police Station) and the West Sea Maritime Police Agency, deploying a total of about 120 personnel including drones, helicopters, and patrol boats to conduct an extensive search around Sinji-myeon, the last known location of the mobile phones. On the 24th, the Wando Fire Station was also involved in the search operation.

So far, two reports have been received of people resembling Jo in Gwangju and Wando, but upon verification, their appearances were completely different.

It is reported that Jo’s family also went on an outdoor experiential learning trip to Jeju Island for five days in March.

Jo’s parents are in their mid-30s and are known to have closed their business at the end of last month; currently, they have no workplace or business.

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