Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon Missing for 12 Hours... Police and Firefighters Announce Overnight Search (Comprehensive)

580 Personnel Deployed, Searching Around Bukaksan
Appearance Confirmed on Morning Waryong Park CCTV
Police "No Set Time to End Search"

On the afternoon of the 9th, when a report was received that Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon was missing, the police conducted a night search around Waryong Park in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Lee Gwan-ju, Song Seung-yoon, Lee Jung-yoon] Nearly 12 hours after the missing person report was filed for Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, his whereabouts remain unknown. Search operations continue near Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, where Mayor Park's cellphone was last located turned off. Police and fire authorities plan to conduct overnight searches.

Starting at 10:30 p.m. on the 9th, police and fire authorities began a second search around Gilsangsa Temple in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, where Mayor Park's cellphone last signaled. Currently, 580 personnel are involved in the search, including 428 police officers, 157 firefighters, police dogs, fire dogs, and drones.

Police and fire authorities conducted a first search for four hours from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on the same day after the initial missing person report but failed to find Mayor Park. Through closed-circuit television (CCTV) installed in Waryong Park, police confirmed that Mayor Park arrived there at approximately 10:53 a.m. that day. The police are dividing the search area into sections including Waryong Park, the entrance to Kookmin University, Bukaksan Palgakjeong Pavilion, and the "Bear's House."

Police and fire authorities plan to continue overnight searches until Mayor Park is found. A police official stated, "There is no specific end time set for the search," adding, "About 80 additional search personnel will be deployed tonight." Fire officials also said, "The mountain is quite deep, so we will secure safety in pairs and search for as long as possible," and "If we do not find him tonight, we will continue the search at sunrise tomorrow using fire and police helicopters and drones."

Fire authorities are controlling access to the scene of the disappearance of Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon.
Photo by Lee Jung-yoon

The search site remains chaotic. Upon news of Mayor Park's disappearance, reporters gathered near the Finnish Embassy and the fire department command center. The command center has since been moved to a larger nearby location, the parking lot of the Korea Furniture Museum.

With police and fire vehicles as well as reporters' cars gathering, the two-lane road in front of the embassy is heavily congested. Reporters are also waiting in front of the mayor's official residence and Seoul National University Hospital, where police are controlling the scene.

According to the police, Mayor Park's daughter reported to 112 at 5:17 p.m. that "My father left home about 4 to 5 hours ago after leaving what sounded like a will, and his phone is turned off."

Investigations show that Mayor Park left his official residence in Gahoe-dong, Jongno-gu, at around 10:44 a.m. that day. At the time of departure, he was wearing a dark-colored jumper, black pants, gray shoes, a black hat, and carrying a black backpack.

Mayor Park was scheduled to meet Kim Sa-yeol, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Balanced National Development, at 4:40 p.m. to discuss regional balanced development focusing on coexistence between Seoul and other regions. However, Seoul City announced the cancellation of the meeting around 10:40 a.m. that day. Cellphone location tracking indicates that Mayor Park's phone signal was last lost somewhere in Seongbuk-gu.

There were rumors that Mayor Park was found deceased and transported to Seoul National University Hospital, but the police have denied these claims.

Meanwhile, it is known that Mayor Park was accused of sexual harassment by a former secretary the previous day. The former secretary, identified as A, filed a complaint at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency with a lawyer the previous night. A was questioned until early morning and then released.

A, who worked as Mayor Park's secretary in 2017, reportedly testified that she was repeatedly sexually harassed by Mayor Park. It is also reported that Mayor Park sent personal photos multiple times via cellphone Telegram and submitted conversation records as evidence. The police have currently only received the complainant's statement.