Situation Explanation by Time Zone
"Shoes Thrown Away Due to Vomit"
"No Famous Person Among Family"
Clarifications on Golden Gun and Condolences
On the 16th, when rain fell nationwide, participants at the "Peace Rally for the Late Son Jeong-min" held near the water taxi dock at Banpo Hangang Park in Seoul urged for a thorough investigation of the incident while holding umbrellas. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] Regarding the case of university student Son Jeong-min (22), who went missing and was found dead at Seoul Hangang Park, the friend A, who was with him, has released a statement addressing various suspicions. A’s side clarified for the first time about the incident and stated that they are actively cooperating with the police investigation.
Attorney Jung Byung-won of the law firm One & Partners, representing A, said in a statement on the morning of the 17th, "What A remembers at the time is only some fragmented details such as feeling himself lying on his side, holding onto a tree with his hand, and trying to wake the deceased. He does not clearly remember the chronological order," adding, "A was heavily intoxicated and does not remember what kind of alcohol or how much he drank."
A remembers purchasing two bottles of cheongju and two bottles of soju, but upon verifying the actual purchase records, it was confirmed that he bought one bottle of 360ml soju with 16.9% alcohol, one bottle of 360ml soju with 20.1% alcohol, two bottles of 300ml cheongju, two bottles of 640ml soju, and three bottles of 750ml Makgeolli.
A’s Side Explains Situation by Timeframe
A’s side stated, "At around 3:37 a.m. on the day of disappearance, A called his mother, but his father answered and spoke for 1 minute and 57 seconds. A does not remember this at all," adding, "At that time, the father found A’s speech hard to understand and the conversation was not smooth. A said something to the effect that the deceased was too drunk to wake up, and told his father to ‘wake the friend up properly and send him home, and you should quickly take a taxi back,’ then hung up."
Later, at around 4:15 a.m., a fire report was made at A’s apartment, waking A’s parents. However, since A did not return home by the expected time, A’s mother called A’s phone at 4:27 a.m., but it was turned off.
A’s side explained, "A passed through the rabbit hole at around 4:30 a.m. and took a taxi home, but was still intoxicated upon returning and therefore does not clearly remember the details," adding, "A’s father asked him how much he drank as he was about to sleep, but seeing that A was too drunk to answer properly, he was concerned about the deceased who had been with him and checked if A had returned home."
They also said, "When A answered that he did not know well, feeling it would be disrespectful to contact the deceased’s home in the early morning, he decided to go to Hangang Park himself to check," adding, "He thought it would not be difficult to find Son if he was lying down, but he did not see him." Then, thinking Son might have gone home, A’s father called his wife to ask if Son had returned.
Later, Son’s mother came to Hangang Park, and A handed over Son’s phone that he had. A’s side said, "Son’s mother sent a text message to A’s mother saying, ‘The police report has been filed. Now that we are here, please go home,’ so A and his family returned home," adding, "Even after arriving home, A was still heavily intoxicated, vomiting in the parking lot, and then fell asleep and woke up in the afternoon."
"Fully Cooperated with Police Investigation"
A’s side stated regarding the police investigation, "A and his parents responded fully with the determination to cooperate as much as possible." According to A’s side, A underwent three rounds of witness questioning and two rounds of hypnosis sessions. A profiler investigation was also conducted once. A’s father and mother were questioned as witnesses twice and once, respectively. On the 4th of this month, A’s clothing, laptop, bag, and A’s mother’s car black box, among other requested materials, were voluntarily submitted, and a house search was conducted.
"Threw Away Shoes Because They Were Old and Soiled... Does Not Remember Possessing Son’s Phone"
Additionally, A’s side addressed various raised suspicions. Regarding the disposal of shoes, they said, "The shoes A wore on the day of disappearance were old, with worn-out soles, and were soiled with vomit, so A’s mother threw them away along with other trash she had collected the next day," adding, "At that time, A’s mother was unaware of the seriousness of the matter and was not told to keep the shoes, so she did not pay much attention."
Previously, Son’s father, Son Hyun (50), repeatedly raised doubts about A’s family throwing away A’s shoes. When Son Hyun asked A about the accident, A reportedly said, "My friend fell on the hill and groaned, and I got my clothes and shoes dirty while pulling him up."
Regarding A possessing the deceased Son’s phone, A’s side explained, "A does not remember why he had the deceased’s phone nor using it," adding, "The only person who knew that A had someone else’s phone was A’s mother."
Denies Allegations of Influential Figures in Family
Regarding suspicions that there are so-called ‘influential figures’ among A’s family, they stated, "There are absolutely no so-called influential figures in investigative agencies, legal circles, media, or political and financial sectors among A’s family or relatives," adding, "A’s father’s occupation is far from being influential, and A’s mother has been a full-time housewife since marriage."
Reason Family Visited Hangang Park Themselves: "Concerned It Might Be Disrespectful"
A’s side explained the reason for going to Hangang Park themselves, saying, "A was worried that it might seem irresponsible to have left the deceased alone and returned by himself," adding, "There was also concern about causing too much alarm by calling early in the morning over something trivial, and whether it might be a great disrespect."
A returned to Hangang Park with other family members at around 5:10 a.m. on the day of disappearance, March 25. According to the CCTV footage released to the media, A and his family did not find Son. Son was found dead underwater near the Jamsu Bridge at Banpo Hangang Park around 4 p.m. on April 30, five days after his disappearance.
Golden Gun... Statement on the Circumstances of the Condolence Visit
Regarding the meaning of the conversation "Let’s overlook the golden gun" mentioned in a video on Son’s phone, A’s side said, "A does not clearly remember the video mentioning ‘golden,’" but added, "A and the deceased usually liked music in the genre of singer Golden and often talked about related singers. They also discussed Golden leaving his agency, so it is judged to be about the singer Golden." They denied rumors that ‘golden’ is a slang term widely known in the deceased and A’s major fields, saying, "We have never heard of that."
Regarding the delay in the condolence visit, A’s side said, "Although A strongly wished to pay respects, after consultation between A’s father and our law firm, it was decided that to properly mourn and grieve as A wished, it was appropriate to visit when there were no reporters and fewer visitors, so they planned to visit late at night." They added, "A’s mother, who was physically weak, also wanted to attend, so A’s father and mother accompanied her. Since it was too late for a lawyer to accompany A, his uncle went with him. However, they did not know the funeral home closed at midnight, so they arrived near the end of the funeral."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
