"Ah, It's My Child" Reunion with Son Missing for 45 Years through DNA Test

Reunion Through Long-Term Missing Persons DNA Registration System

A child and parents who had been separated for 45 years after the child went missing were dramatically reunited through DNA collection and comparison.

The Changwon Jungbu Police Station in Gyeongnam announced on the 8th that through DNA comparison, the missing person Jeong Eun-seok (54), his father Jeong Cheong-myeong (79), mother Cha Ta-dong (75), and Eun-seok’s two younger brothers were reunited on the 4th at a care facility in Yangsan, Gyeongnam, where Eun-seok is living.

Jeong Eun-seok (54), who went missing in December 1978, and his parents are reuniting at a care facility in Yangsan-si, Gyeongnam, on the 4th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Eun-seok, who has an intellectual disability, went missing after leaving his residence on December 20, 1978. His family reported him missing and searched nationwide with all efforts but could not find him.

Later, the father learned about the long-term missing persons DNA registration system through media reports, which led to the reunion.

According to the police, the father visited the Changwon Jungbu Police Station in March to provide a DNA sample. The Child Rights Protection Agency requested analysis of this DNA from the National Forensic Service.

At the end of April, the National Forensic Service notified them of the test result confirming the parent-child relationship.

The mother, Cha, who met her son dramatically, saw the scar on Eun-seok’s left arm and said, "This is my child," embracing him and shedding tears.

She said, "After losing my son, I visited all the nearby orphanages for years. I thought I would never see him again in my lifetime, but I am truly happy and grateful to have found him."

Missing person Jeong Eun-seok (54), who disappeared in December 1978, is reuniting with his parents at a care facility in Yangsan-si, Gyeongnam, on the 4th.

A police official stated, "We will promote the DNA registration system and continue efforts to discover long-term missing persons early."

The police are collaborating with the Child Rights Protection Agency to collect DNA samples from residents of family care facilities for missing persons to aid in discovering long-term missing individuals.