"Many Conflicts Likely" Expert's View on Missing High School Student's Last Whereabouts

On the 22nd, Kim Hwiseong, a third-year student at Seohyun High School who went missing in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, was found dead on a mountain trail in Bundang. The photo shows Kim at around 5:22 PM on the day he went missing, purchasing a workbook at Yeongpung Bookstore near Seohyun Station and then riding up the escalator.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Kim Hweseong, a third-year student at Seohyeon High School in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, was found dead in a nearby mountain seven days after going missing on the 28th. Experts speculate that "there must have been many conflicts."

Seung Jaehyun, a research fellow at the Korea Institute of Criminology and Justice Policy, appeared on TBS Radio's "Cheerful Current Affairs with Lee Seungwon" on the 28th and said, "He left his cellphone at school, bought reference books with a card, but took the village bus with cash, which gives the impression that he had numerous worries."

He added, "The CCTV shows that he did not hesitate to buy the reference books. His demeanor when getting off the elevator does not seem troubled either. Seeing these behaviors, people say, 'Would a friend who finds life difficult act like that?' but at that moment, a person is truly scared." He continued, "There is definitely an inner conflict every moment, wishing 'someone would catch me.'

Regarding the possibility that Kim was murdered and then abandoned, Researcher Seung said, "The biggest reason the police say 'there is no suspicion of a crime' is because the place where Kim was found dead was the final stop of the village bus." He explained, "If he had gone with someone else, the possibility of an incident would have greatly increased, but until that moment, Kim was alone."

He added, "The possibility that he was moved and abandoned from another location is very low. If he had been moved from another place, there would have been traces like disturbed grass or soil, but none were found," he elaborated.

Police searching for the late Kim Hweseong.
Photo by Yonhap News

According to the Bundang Police Station in Gyeonggi, at around 6:33 a.m. that day, a private special search dog searching the ridge of a mountain south of the main gate of Yuldong Saemaeul Training Center in Bundang-gu discovered Kim, who had died.

At the time of discovery, Kim was reportedly wearing the same school uniform he had on when he went missing, with a designated waste bag covering his head, and no separate suicide note was found.

Earlier, on the 22nd, Kim sent a text message to his parents saying, "I will attend night self-study and come home around 9 p.m.," after which contact was lost. Notably, on that day, Kim left his cellphone in his school desk drawer, making location tracking impossible.

At around 4:40 p.m. the same day, after school, Kim stopped by a convenience store to recharge his transportation card and then visited a bookstore near Seohyeon Station to purchase five workbooks. He then took the village bus and is believed to have gotten off at the Saemaeul Training Center in Bundang-gu.

The police estimate that Kim died from suffocation. A police official stated, "No evidence suggesting homicide was found," and explained, "To determine the exact cause of death, we plan to request an autopsy from the National Forensic Service after obtaining consent from the bereaved family."

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