Red iPhone Found Near Discovered Corpse
Not Confirmed If It Belongs to Friend Who Was With Missing Person
Friend's Phone Known to Be iPhone
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] A damaged mobile phone was found near the location where university student Son Jeong-min (22), who went missing and was later found dead at Seoul Hangang Park, was discovered.
Son Hyun, Jeong-min’s father, met with reporters at a funeral hall in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the 4th and said, "I received a call saying 'We found it' while on the way to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office," adding, "The location is near where Jeong-min disappeared." Private rescuer Cha Jong-wook (54), who found Jeong-min’s body, discovered a red iPhone underwater around 1:30 p.m. that day. However, Son said it has not been confirmed whether the phone belongs to Mr. A.
Son said, "Although the phone was shattered, it is said that valid information can be obtained," and added, "I asked through a lawyer to take it to the Seocho Police Station." Regarding the possibility that the phone belongs to Mr. A, who drank with Jeong-min on the day of his disappearance, Son said, "We do not know yet if it is the friend’s phone," but also said, "Is there any other shattered phone in that location besides that one?"
Mr. Cha visited the Seocho Police Station in the afternoon with the family’s lawyer to submit the phone. He told reporters, "The phone was not in normal condition when it was found," adding, "The screen was broken as if force had been applied, and I thought it was suspicious." Regarding the location where the phone was found, he said, "It was about 10 to 15 meters away from the land, and the water depth was about 50 to 60 cm," adding, "It was just the distance it could reach if thrown from the land without going into the water."
The first phone found belonging to Jeong-min was a Galaxy model, and Mr. A’s phone is known to be an iPhone model. Earlier, when Son met with Mr. A’s family on the 25th of last month, the day Jeong-min went missing, Mr. A was holding Jeong-min’s phone. Mr. A’s phone was not found on Jeong-min, who was discovered in the Hangang River.
Mr. A’s phone has been identified as a key clue that could clarify suspicions on the day of the disappearance but had been missing until now. There has been speculation that the two phones might have been swapped while both were intoxicated. Last week, the Seocho Police deployed a riot squad to search the bushes of Banpo Hangang Park to find Mr. A’s phone but failed to locate it. The police are reportedly verifying whether the phone found that day belongs to Mr. A.
Meanwhile, Jeong-min drank with a friend at Banpo Hangang Park from around 11 p.m. on the 24th of last month until about 2 a.m. the next day, then fell asleep. The friend, Mr. A, woke up around 4:30 a.m. and returned home alone, but Jeong-min went missing. Jeong-min’s body was found on the afternoon of the 30th of last month. It was reported that his clothing was exactly the same as when he went missing.
The police have started digital forensic analysis on Jeong-min’s phone and are investigating the exact circumstances of the case. After securing related data through forensics, the police plan to summon Mr. A for questioning.
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