Father of 'Gaeguri Sonyeon' Case Still Unsolved, Kim Hyun-do Passes Away

Unsolved Case Since 2006 Due to Statute of Limitations
Experts: "Boys Died from Blunt Force or Stabbing Injuries"

Long-unsolved case of the 'Gaeguri Boys' / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Nayeon] Kim Hyundo, one of the fathers of the victims in the 'Frog Boys Disappearance Case,' one of South Korea's most notorious long-unsolved cases, passed away on the 22nd at the age of 79 due to a cerebral infarction.

Mr. Kim was the father of Kim Younggyu (then 11 years old), one of the five Frog Boys. After his son went missing, he traveled across the country searching for the Frog Boys.

The Frog Boys case involves five boys who disappeared on March 5, 1991, after leaving home to collect salamander eggs, and the perpetrator has yet to be identified.

The police deployed a search force totaling 350,000 people, the largest for a single missing person case in the country, but they were ultimately unable to uncover the culprit or the circumstances of the disappearance.

In 2009, skeletal remains were found in Sebanggol, Waryongsan, Dalseo-gu, Daegu, but without any context, the families had to receive their sons' remains 18 years later, which caused them great anguish.

The bereaved families, including the late Mr. Kim, gave up their livelihoods and traveled nationwide distributing flyers and inquiring about the children's whereabouts, but the trail went cold. After a period of silence, the case resurfaced on September 26, 2002, when the missing children were all found as skeletal remains in Sebanggol, Waryongsan.

At that time, the forensic team at Kyungpook National University concluded through skeletal analysis that the deaths were caused by homicide with sharp objects. In response, Mr. Kim and the families sought to resolve the cold case by appealing to investigative agencies and the National Assembly and giving media interviews, but ultimately failed to solve it. The statute of limitations expired on March 25, 2006, leaving the case unsolved to this day.

Since the true culprit of the Hwaseong serial murders of women was identified in September 2019, a reinvestigation was launched under the direction of former National Police Chief Min Gapryong. The Daegu Police Department's cold case investigation team is still conducting the reinvestigation but has yet to find any clear leads. In March of last year, a memorial monument for the victim children was erected at Seonwon Park in Waryongsan.

Previously, among the Frog Boys' fathers, Kim Cheolgyu, father of Kim Jongsik (then 9 years old), passed away from cancer in 2001.