[Report] "Leaving Without Even Fulfilling Dreams"... Citizens Still Remember Late Son Jeong-min

Police Conclude No Charges Against Late Son Jeong-min's Friend... Investigation Closed
"Clear Evidence of Homicide Found"... Bereaved Family Plans to Appeal to Police

On the 25th, a memorial space for the late Son Jeong-min was set up near the water taxi dock at Banpo Hangang Park in Seoul. Photo by Heo Mi-dam damdam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] "There are no witnesses and no CCTV footage of the accident scene, so it's truly heartbreaking."

On the 25th, Mr. Lee, in his 30s, whom we met near the water taxi dock at Banpo Hangang Park in Seocho-gu, Seoul, expressed his sorrow over the case of the late Son Jeongmin (22), saying, "It pains me in many ways. He was still in his early twenties and passed away without fulfilling his dream of becoming a doctor." He added, "Not only us but how must Jeongmin's parents feel? I hope the grievances of the bereaved family are resolved as soon as possible."

At around 1 p.m. that day, at the memorial space near Banpo Hangang Park, six months after the incident occurred, people continued to visit to pay their respects to Son. The memorial space was piled high with flowers of various colors, as if many had already visited, and a bulletin board set up in one corner was filled with post-it notes bearing messages of remembrance.

The colorful post-its contained messages such as "Jeongmin! We will never forget you," "Son Jeongmin is everyone's love," "Jeongmin, don't hurt anymore!," "Son Jeongmin, rest well in heaven," expressing condolences to the deceased. Citizens who came to the park for a walk also paused briefly to look around the memorial space.

A memorial space for the late Son Jeong-min. It is filled with citizens' tribute messages and flowers. Photo by Heo Mi-dam damdam@

Earlier, on April 25, Son, a medical student, went missing after drinking with his friend Mr. A at this location and was found dead five days later. The police launched a large-scale investigation but found no evidence of criminal charges and closed the case after holding a death investigation committee meeting in June.

However, on June 23, Son's father, Mr. Son Hyun, filed a complaint against Mr. A, who had been drinking with his son just before he went missing, holding him responsible for his son's death. The police re-examined the T-shirt Son was wearing at the time of the incident through the National Forensic Service but reportedly found no significant evidence to prove guilt. Ultimately, the police recently closed the case involving the complaint filed by Son's family against Mr. A.

With the police investigation effectively concluded, citizens met at the memorial space that day continued to express their condolences to the deceased. Some especially called for a precise determination of the cause of death.

Near the water taxi dock at Banpo Hangang Park in Seoul, there are papers attached to the fence with phrases such as "Falsehood cannot overcome truth" and "Heaven knows, and the earth bears witness." Photo by Heo Midam damdam@

Mr. Kim Jaehee (65), who said he had managed Son's memorial space for six months, said, "Every time I come here, I feel so sad and heartbroken. If we feel this way, how must Jeongmin's parents feel?" He raised his voice, saying, "At first, people paid attention to this case out of sadness or curiosity, but now everyone is filled with anger. The idea that Jeongmin, drunk, went into the Han River alone is just not believable."

Mr. Kim also urged Mr. A, Son's friend, saying, "Since you were with Jeongmin throughout, I hope you tell us what happened from the beginning until the accident occurred." He added, "Is it really that difficult to explain the situation at that time? We want to know the exact cause of death."

He continued, "How would a parent feel losing a cherished child overnight?" and emphasized, "To prevent more unjust deaths, the truth of this case must be revealed to the end for the sake of justice."

Relatedly, on the 19th, a petition was posted on the Blue House's national petition board requesting, "The police are avoiding demands for investigation, so please make efforts to ensure a thorough reinvestigation by the prosecution."

A banner raising suspicions about the late Jeongmin Son case is installed. Photo by Heo Midam damdam@

Meanwhile, Mr. Lee, in his 70s, who was also looking around Son's memorial space, said, "The grief of losing an only son is incomparable," but added, "Since people sometimes behave differently when drunk, it doesn't seem like a homicide."

He continued, "Actually, friend Mr. A should have contacted Jeongmin's parents sooner. If he had contacted them immediately after the accident, there wouldn't have been such complications," and said, "It's really unfortunate that the accident happened at dawn with no witnesses."

Meanwhile, Son's family has repeatedly raised suspicions of homicide, claiming, "We found clear evidence in our son's pants." On the 24th, Son Hyun opened up on his personal blog, saying, "Last Friday, I received Jeongmin's belongings from the Seocho Police Station," and began, "While looking through the handover list, something caught my eye."

He said, "It was a mask in the pants pocket," and explained, "When Jeongmin was found, there was no mask on his face, so I thought it had floated away in the water, but it was neatly in the pants pocket. At first, I just thought the mask was simply in the pocket. But on the way home, I thought about it carefully and realized it was clear evidence of homicide."

Son Hyun explained, "Jeongmin always wore a mask at the rabbit hole (Banpo Interchange) and convenience stores, so he must have carefully put the mask in his pants pocket when drinking. Then he probably fell asleep from the alcohol," adding, "Jeongmin fell without moving next to the tree where he fell asleep. Since he was put into the water by someone in that state, the mask remained in the pocket."

Meanwhile, even if the police decide not to prosecute and close the case, if the complainant objects, the case is automatically forwarded to the prosecution. The prosecution may request supplementary investigations from the police if necessary.