Lower body remains presumed to be missing man from Gayang Station... Lee Soo-jung "Cannot completely rule out possibility of crime"

The Possibility of Extreme Choices Is Low

Professor Lee Su-jeong of the Department of Criminal Psychology at Kyonggi University recently commented on the body found in Ganghwa-do, Incheon. The photo shows Professor Lee giving a lecture at the 2021 First Half Special Education on Gender Sensitivity and Prevention of Sexual Harassment and Other Violence, held on the afternoon of May 11 last year at the Multipurpose Hall of Seoul City Hall. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] On the 10th, a lower body corpse presumed to be a man in his 20s to 30s was found in the tidal flats near Ganghwa Island, Incheon, raising speculation that the body might be Mr. A, a man in his 20s who went missing near Gayang Station in Seoul last month. Regarding this, Professor Lee Soo-jung of the Department of Criminal Psychology at Kyonggi University stated, "Verification procedures are necessary, but it seems difficult to completely rule out the possibility of a crime."

Professor Lee appeared on KBS's "Brave Live" on the 26th and said, "It is not appropriate to immediately consider a crime victim just because the body was found," but added, "Nevertheless, there is a need to analyze the mutilation of the body in detail."

Professor Lee viewed the possibility of Mr. A’s extreme choice as low. He said, "According to the family, there was no reason for the missing person to make an extreme choice, and there is a record of a phone call with his girlfriend around 2:30 a.m.," adding, "The girlfriend also did not notice any unusual circumstances." He continued, "It is possible to consider the possibility of a fall due to his own fault, but it was not raining at the time," and said, "It is questionable how likely it is for a healthy adult man to fall while walking."

Professor Lee also mentioned the possibility that the body was damaged due to natural disasters. He said, "The body might have gotten caught in something like a Han River net while drifting, and if decomposition progresses significantly, parts can separate," adding, "The National Forensic Service will likely confirm how the body was mutilated." He further stated, "If there are artificial traces, it would be a criminal case, but if not, bodies are often damaged in water."

Regarding the other male body found nearby, he said, "Could the body of the man found together be a clue to solving the case?" and added, "Since the time and place of discovery are similar, verification procedures seem necessary."

According to the Incheon Coast Guard, on the 10th, two bodies presumed to be men in their 20s to 30s were found in Bureun-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon. Among them, the body found by an angler in the tidal flats was only the lower half and was reported to be in a significantly decomposed state. The pants and sneakers worn by this body were similar to those Mr. A was wearing on the day he went missing, leading to claims that it might be the same person. The police have requested DNA analysis from the National Forensic Service to confirm the identity of the body.

Mr. A was captured on nearby CCTV around 2:15 a.m. on the 7th of last month, walking from Exit 4 of Gayang Station toward Gayang Bridge, but his whereabouts have since been unknown.