Deceased Son Jeong-min's Friend's Maternal Uncle a Police Official?..."Distorted False Facts Rampant"

On the 10th, private divers are searching for the late Son Jeong-min's friend's cellphone near the water taxi dock at Banpo Hangang Park in Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Amid numerous speculations surrounding the death of university student the late Son Jeongmin (22), who went missing and was later found dead at Seoul Hangang Park, unverified rumors are rampant.

Recently, online rumors circulated that A, a classmate who drank with Son at the time of the incident, has an uncle who is Choi Jonghyuk, the head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Investigation Division and former chief of the Seoul Seocho Police Station. As posts and videos suggesting that Chief Choi was trying to cover up the case spread, Chief Choi himself directly denied these rumors as "groundless."

On the 16th, Chief Choi told Yonhap News, "I have no familial relationship with A," adding, "I only have brothers and no younger or older sisters, so I cannot be anyone's uncle from the start." Regarding allegations that he used his senior police position to exert pressure on the investigation into Son's death, he explained, "This case falls under the Criminal Division, and as the head of the Investigation Division, I have no involvement." He also added that he does not even know the facts of the case properly.

Chief Choi said, "At first, I intended to just observe, but as distorted false information spread widely, I decided to make a statement," explaining his reason for directly addressing the issue.

Recently, on various social networking services (SNS), the rumor that Chief Choi is A's uncle and is obstructing the investigation has become accepted as fact, spreading along with his profile and career details.

On the 16th, citizens visiting the entrance of the taxi stand at Banpo Hangang Park in Seoul, where a memorial space for the late Son Jeong-min was set up, are paying tribute to Son.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Especially on YouTube, searching for "Hangang university student" yields many videos related to the case. Some videos have provocative titles such as "The shocking truth about A," "A is definitely the culprit. The reason A was indicted," portraying A as the perpetrator. Additionally, some YouTubers have disclosed A's personal information under the pretext of "helping to uncover the truth behind Son's death."

However, since the police investigation has not yet concluded and the case has not been transferred to the prosecution, claims that A has been indicted are false. Moreover, disclosing someone else's personal information without consent is illegal and can lead to criminal charges such as defamation under criminal law. Even within the police, there are opinions that conspiracy theories assuming A as the culprit actually hinder the investigation.

Following the discovery of Son's body on the 30th of last month, various unverified rumors about A, who drank with Son at Hangang, began circulating online.

Initially, there was a claim that A's father was a lawyer at a major law firm, which Son's father denied, stating, "He is not a lawyer." Then, on the 4th, rumors spread that A's father was a professor at Gangnam Severance Hospital. In response, Gangnam Severance Hospital posted an official notice on Facebook stating, "This is groundless," clarifying that the rumors about specific medical staff at Gangnam Severance Hospital are false and unrelated to any family members of the hospital's medical staff.

Some netizens reacted with comments such as "The situation is becoming too extreme," "People are being targeted without certainty," and "I will remain neutral until all investigations are completed."

Son Jeongmin went missing after drinking with his friend A near the water taxi dock at Banpo Hangang Park from around 11 p.m. on the 24th of last month until about 2 a.m. the next day. He was found dead underwater in the Hangang River five days later, on the 30th.

On the 13th, the National Forensic Service announced the autopsy results, determining Son's cause of death as drowning, and judged that the injuries found on Son's head were not significant enough to consider as the cause of death.

However, Son's whereabouts were unaccounted for during a 40-minute period between 3:38 a.m. and 4:20 a.m. on the day he went missing, raising calls for clarification of his cause of death and the truth behind the incident.

On the 13th, the day the National Forensic Service's autopsy results were announced, Son's father said in an interview with MBC Radio's "Pyo Changwon's News High Kick," "I expected this," adding, "From the beginning, I asked the police to investigate based on the premise of drowning and how he entered the water."

The police are continuing to search for A's cellphone, which has not yet been found, in cooperation with the navy, while conducting investigations through CCTV and black box analysis and witness interviews.