Body Found in Ganghwado Mudflat During Chuseok Holiday, Missing Man in His 20s from Gayang Station

Forensic DNA Analysis Confirms Missing Person as Lee

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] A man in his 20s who went missing near Gayang Station in Seoul was ultimately found dead.

The Seoul Gangseo Police Station announced on the 29th that the identity of the body found in the mudflats of Ganghwa Island, Incheon, on Chuseok day was confirmed to be Mr. Lee (25), who went missing near Gayang Station in Seoul.

Earlier, at around 1:46 PM on the 10th of this month, a fisherman discovered a body presumed to be male in the mudflats near Gwangseongbo in Buleun-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon, and reported it to the police.

At the time of discovery, only the lower half of the body remained, and it was in a significantly decomposed state.

Subsequently, the Incheon Coast Guard requested DNA analysis from the National Forensic Service to identify the body, and the analysis confirmed that it was Mr. Lee, who went missing near Gayang Station on the 7th of last month.

On that day, Mr. Lee was last seen on CCTV at around 2:15 AM near Gayang Station heading toward Gayang Bridge, after parting ways with acquaintances near Gonghang Market Station in Gangseo-gu at about 1:30 AM. Since then, his whereabouts had been unknown.

The police are focusing their investigative efforts on determining the circumstances of Mr. Lee’s death.

A police official stated, "We investigated related activities using clues such as communication and financial records, but no criminal suspicion has been found so far."

Meanwhile, Ms. Kim Ga-eul (23), who also disappeared near Gayang Station in June, is still confirmed to be missing.