"Hard to Fall Accidentally... Which Parent Would Accept It?"
Regarding the Stab Wound Found on the Body, "I Didn't Think It Was the Cause of Death"
A flyer searching for Son Jeong-min, who went missing at Seoul Hangang Park and was found dead five days later. / Photo by Internet Community Capture
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] The father of university student Son Jeongmin (22), who was found dead at Seoul Hangang Park, has pleaded for a detailed explanation of the circumstances surrounding his son's cause of death and the accident.
Son was found dead after going missing following falling asleep intoxicated at the park on the 24th of last month. Son's father expressed his grief, saying he cannot understand how his son ended up in the water.
In an interview with 'KBS' on the 2nd, Son's father said it is hard to accept his son's death and urged for the specific cause of Son's death to be revealed, tearfully stating, "I want to know why he did that. If I know that, I think I can let him go peacefully."
Son's father expressed doubts about how Son ended up alone from around 3:30 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. on the 25th of last month, before he went missing, saying it is hard to understand how his son was left alone during that time.
He emphasized, "What parent would accept that their child, who woke up after drinking, walked and fell into the Hangang River? I want to make it clear that the place where Son went missing is definitely not a place where one could accidentally fall."
He explained that the stab wounds found on Son's body were not the direct cause of death. He said, "I mentioned the scratches out of sorrow, but he would not have died just because of a head injury," emphasizing, "I did not think the stab wounds were the cause of death."
On the afternoon of the 30th of last month at Banpo Hangang Park in Seoul, a civilian rescuer and a rescue dog watched as the body of a university student who had gone missing six days earlier was recovered. / Photo by Yonhap News
Earlier, Son, a first-year medical student at a university in Seoul, went missing after drinking with a friend at Hangang Park from around 11 p.m. on the 24th of last month until 2 a.m. the next day, after which he fell asleep and disappeared.
Son was found dead near the park on the 30th of last month, five days after his disappearance. The body was first discovered by a search dog and a civilian rescuer searching the area. The police confirmed the identity as Son after checking the belongings and ID found on the body.
It was reported that Son had stab wounds on his head. Son's father explained to the press on the day his son was found, "The autopsy was just completed, and there were two wounds about the length of two finger joints on the back of his head," adding, "They were thick and deep, as if cut by something sharp."
Subsequently, Son's father requested an autopsy from the National Forensic Service (NFS). After the autopsy on the 1st, the NFS reportedly gave a preliminary verbal opinion stating, "Due to the body's decomposition, the exact cause of death cannot be determined visually," and that the stab wounds were not the direct cause.
A photo of Mr. Son's son during his high school years, posted on Mr. Son's father's blog. / Photo by Blog Capture
Meanwhile, this case became known after Son's father shared his son's disappearance on internet communities and personal blogs. On the 28th of last month, Son's father posted on his blog, "Looking for my son," pleading, "If anyone went to Hangang, especially at that time, could you please let me know if you saw (my son)?" He also posted a photo of a handwritten note saying, "Jeongmin, call me when you get home. I'm out looking for you."
On the 30th of last month, the day Son's body was found, he posted again on his blog titled "I'm sorry," expressing regret that things did not turn out as hoped, but also saying, "Thank you for the interest and prayers, and I will do my best to send Jeongmin off well."
He continued, "Thank you for all the support so far. I especially want to deeply thank the civilian rescuers who have been searching for Jeongmin for several days," adding, "If they had not identified the tide and rescued him, I don't want to even think about how many days Jeongmin would have been in the cold river water in this condition. I will definitely meet and thank them once I get myself together."
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