Five Boys Missing in 1991, Found as Remains in Daegu Waryongsan in 2002
Officer A "I Will Find My Nephew" Jumps from Police, Said "I Will Catch the Culprit"
The campaign held to find the five boys after the Frog Boys disappearance case. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] He decided to become a police officer to find his missing nephew. The police officer, who had to console the young restless spirit by meeting his nephew's remains with eyes in uniform, passed away amid the COVID-19 era.
It has been revealed that Officer A, a man in his 50s who died three days after receiving a cross COVID-19 vaccination and whose cause of death is under controversy, was the maternal uncle of one of the victims among the unsolved case of the "Gaeguri Boys" (Frog Boys).
The story that 24-year veteran police officer A decided to become a police officer because of his nephew's disappearance weighs heavily on hearts.
The "Gaeguri Boys" case, marking its 30th anniversary this year, involves five elementary school students from Dalseo-gu, Daegu, who went missing on March 26, 1991, after leaving home to catch frogs.
They were found as skeletal remains on September 26, 2002, in Sebang Valley of Waryongsan Mountain, Daegu. The perpetrator has not yet been caught, and the Daegu Police Agency is still investigating.
According to the police and family, Inspector A of the Gumi Police Station in North Gyeongsang Province collapsed in his living room on the morning of the 20th and was found by his family. He was taken to the hospital but passed away.
Officer A received his first dose of the AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine on April 28 and his second dose of the Pfizer vaccine on the 17th. Although the cause has not yet been determined, this was the first reported death after cross-vaccination with AZ and Pfizer vaccines, which rapidly spread through the news.
Later, media reports revealed that he was the maternal uncle of one of the "Gaeguri Boys."
His family disclosed that the longing and guilt for his nephew were significant reasons why Officer A chose policing as his profession.
He reportedly told those around him, "I became a police officer because I thought I could find my missing nephew, and I wanted to catch the culprit who unjustly caused my nephew to die at a young age."
The bereaved family of Inspector A is urging a thorough investigation into the cause of death amid the sudden shock.
On the 28th, his wife posted on the Blue House National Petition Board, stating, "My husband died three days after receiving the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine in July, following his first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine in April. He was healthy without any underlying conditions, so we want the autopsy to reveal how this happened, but we have not yet received a clear answer."
The family earnestly hopes that this will not be seen as a personal tragedy alone but that the causal relationship with vaccine side effects will be clearly established. For the death to be recognized as a duty-related death, the cause must be clarified, whether it is due to vaccine side effects or overwork from extended duty.
Now, two sons, who have grown older than the nephew he lost, have to say goodbye to Officer A.
Officer A’s wife is plunged into despair and grief over how to live with their two young sons in middle school, grades 2 and 1. However, she eagerly hopes that her husband’s death will not be in vain.
Regarding Inspector A’s autopsy, a representative from the Chilgok Police Station in North Gyeongsang Province said, "We requested an autopsy from the National Forensic Service on the 21st, but we have not yet received the results," and they are awaiting the outcome.
The National Association of Missing and Disappeared Families stated on the 29th, "The police officer who died after cross-vaccination was the maternal uncle of one of the Gaeguri Boys. We are deeply saddened by the tragedy that has struck the family again after decades."
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