Son Jeongmin's Father "Reviewed CCTV at the Incident Scene... Jeongmin Was Nowhere to Be Found"

Earlier Decision to Close Police Investigation "Unbelievable"
"Explained Suspicions to Detectives and Asked for Help"

On the afternoon of May 8th, near the water taxi dock at Banpo Hangang Park in Seoul, citizens are presenting carnations and other gifts to Mr. Son Hyun, the father of the late Son Jung-min. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Son Hyun, the father of the late Son Jeongmin (22), who was found dead after going missing at Seoul Hangang Park, revealed that he viewed the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage he had requested from the police.

On the 2nd, Son wrote on his blog, "I went to the police station to see the CCTV footage I requested through an information disclosure request," adding, "They said I could only view it. Since it is an ongoing investigation, I cannot disclose the contents."

Earlier, on the 29th of last month, Son said, "I found out that there are CCTVs on Olympic-daero and Banpo Bridge showing the recent incident scene, and that they are under police jurisdiction," and added, "I requested to view the CCTV, but of course, they did not show it. So I filed an information disclosure request."

Regarding the CCTV footage he viewed, Son explained, "The angles were different, and it was not easy to tell where it was from the general monitor screen," and said, "I matched the content of the call that my friend A made with the footage, but Jeongmin was nowhere to be seen. I explained the suspicions we have to the detectives who are continuing the investigation and asked for their help before leaving."

Son also expressed his longing for Jeongmin. He said, "I was so tired that I fell asleep, and Jeongmin appeared. He looked fully grown," adding, "Jeongmin held my hand tightly, and the sensation was vivid. Sensing that we had to part, I shouted, 'Jeongmin, please tell me next time,' and woke up crying."

Memorial site for the late Son Jeong-min set up at Banpo Hangang Park in Seoul. / Photo by Yonhap News

Earlier, on the 29th of last month, the police held a Death Investigation Review Committee (DIRC) meeting regarding the death of Jeongmin in the Hangang university student death case and made a final decision to close the case.

The police had conducted an investigation by deploying a large-scale team of 35 personnel across seven violent crime units to clarify the exact cause of Jeongmin’s death. However, no criminal charges were found that would suggest Jeongmin died due to the actions of friend A or a third party.

Nonetheless, the police stated, "One violent crime team will continue to verify the deceased’s final whereabouts before death and check for additional evidence, and one detective team will investigate the family’s complaint according to procedures."

Jeongmin’s family had filed a complaint on the 23rd of last month against friend A, who drank with Jeongmin at the time of his disappearance, on charges including assault causing death and abandonment causing death.

Son expressed his opposition to the police’s decision to close the preliminary investigation at that time, saying, "It feels like my lifespan is shortening," and "I cannot believe it."

In a blog post, he wrote, "I just received notification from the police that the case has been closed," and added, "Although I expected it, I cannot believe it."

He also voiced dissatisfaction, saying, "I called the officer in charge to ask for detailed information, but it seemed that what the police explained to the committee was at the level of last month’s interim report," and "There seemed to be no progress since then. After returning home, I asked about the voting results and the questions from the civilian committee members, but they did not tell me."