Police: "Report of an unidentified man entering Hangang on the day Son Jeongmin went missing"... 7 witnesses investigated

Group Fishing Nearby Witnessed
Police Conduct On-Site Investigation
Identity of Person Entering Water Not Confirmed

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 are urging for a thorough investigation of the incident while holding umbrellas. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] The police investigating the case of university student Son Jeong-min (22), who went missing and was found dead at Seoul Hangang Park, are verifying the relevance with a witness who saw an unidentified man entering the Hangang River.

On the 18th, the Seoul Seocho Police Station announced that on the 25th of last month, around 4:40 a.m., a group of seven people fishing near the scene reported seeing an unidentified man walking into the Hangang River, and the police are currently checking the relevance of this report.

The police have completed investigations of all seven witnesses and conducted an on-site investigation to verify credibility. However, the identity of the person entering the water, as seen by these witnesses, has not yet been confirmed. The police are continuing to secure additional witnesses and analyze closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage.

A police official stated, "From the early stages of the investigation, unverified information has been spreading on the internet as if it were true, causing unnecessary confusion and dispersing investigative resources, making the situation somewhat difficult. We would like to reiterate that we are making every effort to confirm the deceased’s movements before death, and we ask the public to trust the police investigation and await the results rather than raising unconfirmed suspicions."

Son went missing after drinking with his friend A near the water taxi boarding area at Banpo Hangang Park from around 11 p.m. on the 24th of last month until about 2 a.m. the next day. His body was found underwater in the Hangang River not far from the disappearance site on the 30th of last month. The autopsy results suggested that the cause of death was drowning.