The Missing Persons Investigation Team of Gwangju Nambu Police Station issued a missing alert on the 24th for 10-year-old Jo Yuna and her parents, a family of three residing in Nam-gu, Gwangju, and launched an investigation to find them. [Photo by National Police Agency 'Safety Dream' website capture]
[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] A missing alert has been issued for an elementary school student family who lost contact in Wando-gun, Jeollanam-do. The family went to Wando last month for a one-month rural living experience and has since been missing.
According to Yonhap News on the 25th, the Missing Persons Investigation Team of Gwangju Nambu Police Station issued a missing alert for Jo Yuna (10), who resides in Baegundong, Nam-gu, Gwangju, starting from the previous day and launched an investigation to find the family.
The disappearance was reported by the school. According to the police, Jo Yuna and her parents, a family of three, left for Wando, Jeollanam-do on the 19th of last month to experience rural living for a month. However, Jo Yuna did not attend school even after the experience period ended on the 15th. When contact with the parents was also lost, the school reported to the police on the 22nd.
The police stated that the last signal from the parents' mobile phones was detected at a base station in Sinji-myeon, Wando-gun at the end of last month, and no signs of daily activity have been observed since. Daily activity refers to actions such as using a mobile phone, card usage, or internet access.
Additionally, analysis of closed-circuit television (CCTV) from Wando Bridge and Jangbogo Bridge, which connect the island area of Wando to the mainland, confirmed the father's vehicle heading toward Wando but did not find any footage of it leaving. There were also no records or traces of the family boarding a boat at ports around Wando.
Accordingly, the police believe the Jo family is still in Wando. They have requested joint investigations with the Wando local police, coast guard, and fire authorities, and have sent missing alert text messages to Nam-gu and Wando areas to locate them.
However, since a missing report is not subject to compulsory investigation, the police have not been able to ascertain the family's debt relations or other details. A police official stated that there is no evidence suggesting criminal suspicion so far but that all possibilities remain open as they focus on locating the family.
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