"Both Police and Prosecutors Clear of Charges, 'Can't Trust This'... Medical Student Death Case Rally to Be Held Again"

In 2021, the friend of the late medical student Son Jeong-min, who was found dead in Hangang Park and was suspected of causing harm to him, was cleared of charges by the prosecution. Meanwhile, a rally demanding a thorough investigation into the case is scheduled to be held.

According to the legal community on the 18th, the Criminal Division 3 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Jo Seok-gyu) concluded that Son's friend, Mr. A, was not guilty and decided not to prosecute him at the end of last month. The prosecution stated, "After thoroughly supplementing the investigation through interviews with the complainant, witness investigations, and on-site inspections, it was difficult to acknowledge the allegations against Mr. A, so the case was dismissed with 'no charges.'

On May 16, 2021, near the water taxi dock at Banpo Hangang Park in Seoul, participants at the "Peace Rally for the Late Son Jeong-min" are urging for a thorough investigation of the incident while holding umbrellas. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

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Son’s father, who has been appealing that his son died unjustly, responded to supportive comments on his blog after the no-charge decision was announced, saying, "Thank you. The truth always remains the same," and "Mr. A said he went down the steep slope himself, so only he knows what happened afterward. It doesn’t make sense to remember going down but not what he did."

Earlier, it was reported that a petition to hold a rally demanding a thorough investigation into the so-called 'Son Jeong-min case' was submitted to the police on the 16th. Memorial gatherings will be held at the memorial space set up in Banpo Hangang Park from the 19th of this month to the 15th of next month, and near the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, from the 28th of this month to the 15th of next month. On the first day of the rally, the 19th, a 1000-day memorial service honoring Son will be held at 3 p.m.

However, this rally was reportedly planned in advance before the prosecution’s decision not to prosecute, marking 1000 days since Son was at Banpo Hangang Park with Mr. A on April 24, 2021.

At the time of the incident, Son drank and fell asleep with Mr. A near the water taxi dock at Banpo Hangang Park from around 11 p.m. until about 2 a.m. the next day. He went missing and was found dead underwater in the Han River not far from the disappearance site five days later. The cause of death was drowning.

The police investigated Son’s death for over two months by reviewing CCTV footage around the Han River and concluded there was no criminal suspicion against Mr. A, closing the case as an internal investigation. They also decided not to prosecute the case in which Son’s family accused Mr. A of assault causing death and abandonment causing death.

After the family’s objection, the prosecution took over the case, summoned the family as complainants, and after two years of review, found no evidence of Mr. A’s guilt and closed the case without charges. Previously, Son’s family suggested that an unfortunate incident might have occurred between Son and Mr. A under the Han River slope on the day of the incident and raised the possibility that Mr. A gave false testimony to the police.

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