Jeongmin's Father: "My Son, Who Used to Play Games With Me... I Just Want to Know Why He Entered the Hangang"

On the 4th, the funeral hall of Son Jeong-min at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jumi Lee] The father of university student Son Jeong-min, who went missing at Banpo Hangang Park in Seoul and was found dead after six days, pleaded, "I just want to know exactly how my son ended up in the Hangang River."

Son Hyun, Jeong-min's father, said in an interview with KBS Radio's 'Joo Jin-woo Live' on the 5th, "I told the Seocho Police Station chief that I don't want to hear that they don't know why he fell into the river. I would really appreciate it if we could find out what happened between 3:30 and 4:30, the time frame that remains unclear."

Son explained the situation on the early morning of the 25th of last month, when Jeong-min disappeared: "My wife woke me up saying, 'Jeong-min is missing, go find him quickly,' so I rushed toward the Banpo entrance."

He added that on the evening of the 26th, "I met (friend A, who was with Jeong-min) for the first and last time," and said, "I asked A to recall as much as possible what happened between 2 a.m. and 4:30 a.m., but he said he couldn't remember because he was drinking and that he didn't know whether Jeong-min was there when he woke up at 4:30 a.m.," expressing his frustration.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He continued, saying that when he heard from the police that A had called his parents around 3:30 a.m. on the 25th, he asked, "Why didn't you tell me about that?" and A responded, "I missed the chance to tell you, sorry," which raised suspicions.

Regarding A's missing phone, Son said, "It seems difficult to find," and added, "If it has been handled this perfectly, I think even if they look for it, it won't turn up."

Son expressed his longing for his departed son, saying, "We played games together, traveled together, and shared everything as he grew up. We lived so closely that this is especially painful."

Previously, Jeong-min went missing after drinking with A at Banpo Hangang Park on the night of the 24th to the 25th of last month and was found dead underwater in the Hangang River six days later.

A woke up alone around 4:30 a.m. on the 25th and went home by himself. He told the police that he thought Jeong-min had gone home earlier because he was not around.

A returned home carrying Jeong-min's phone instead of his own, and A's phone has yet to be found. A's phone is considered a crucial clue in determining Jeong-min's whereabouts before his death.

The police are currently investigating various possibilities, including accidental death and homicide, focusing their efforts on determining the cause of Jeong-min's death and the circumstances of the case.