"Why Buy a Workbook Before an Extreme Choice?"... Excessive Speculation on the Death of a Missing High School Student

'Bundang Missing High School Student' Kim Hweseong Found Dead in Hills After 7 Days
Police "No Signs of Homicide"

Kim Hweseong was seen riding the escalator after purchasing a workbook at Yeongpoong Bookstore Bundang Seohyeon Branch on the 22nd, the day he went missing.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Kim Hweseong, a third-year student at Seohyeon High School in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, was found dead in a nearby mountain seven days after going missing. However, some netizens are raising doubts about the police announcement and are spreading indiscriminate speculation, causing concern. In response, the police reiterated their position that "no connection to a crime has been confirmed."

According to the Bundang Police Station in Gyeonggi on the 28th, Kim's body was found around 6:33 a.m. near a hiking trail on the ridge of a mountain south of the main gate of Saemaeul Training Center in Bundang-gu, Seongnam. At the time of discovery, Kim was reportedly found dead with a volume-based waste bag covering his head. No separate suicide note was found.

The police stated, "We judge that there is no sign of homicide," and added, "To determine the exact cause of death, we plan to request an autopsy at the National Forensic Service with the consent of the bereaved family."

Earlier, Kim went missing after leaving school at around 4:40 p.m. on the 22nd. CCTV footage captured him buying a workbook at Youngpoong Bookstore Bundang Seohyeon Branch and then moving to a nearby bus stop, after which there was no further contact. It was also investigated that he had an argument with his family the day before regarding his career path.

On the afternoon of the 27th, police moved to search for Kim Hwiseong, a student of Bundang Seohyeon High School, whose whereabouts have been unknown for six days after leaving school on the 22nd, around Yuldong Park in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Netizens expressed condolences upon hearing the news of Kim’s death. One netizen mourned, "Although Kim has become a star in the sky, I hope he is free and peaceful there."

Other netizens also responded with comments such as, "I hope he can laugh and be happy there," "It breaks my heart to think about how many worries he must have had," and "I can't even imagine how hard it must have been for the child."

However, some netizens raised suspicions about Kim’s death. One netizen questioned, "Why would someone about to make an extreme choice buy a workbook?" expressing doubts about the circumstances of his death.

As indiscriminate speculation continued, the Bundang Police Station, which is investigating the case, reportedly stated, "Speculative suspicions should be refrained from," and added, "Such content can hurt the bereaved family."

Experts also pointed out the need to refrain from premature speculation. Professor Lee Sujeong of the Department of Criminal Psychology at Kyonggi University said in an interview with a media outlet, "Since this incident happened recently and many investigation results have not yet been disclosed, it is still difficult to predict how public opinion will develop."

She continued, "It is an environment where it is easy to raise suspicions, doubts, or conspiracy theories about a particular incident, but such conspiracy theories often develop without evidence, so caution is necessary."

※ If you or someone around you is experiencing difficult feelings such as depression, you can receive 24-hour professional counseling at suicide prevention hotlines ☎1577-0199, Hope Phone ☎129, Lifeline ☎1588-9191, and Youth Phone ☎1388.