An elementary school student who went missing at Juwangsan National Park in Cheongsong County, North Gyeongsang Province, was found dead three days after his disappearance.
According to fire authorities on Wednesday, a search dog belonging to the police's scientific investigation unit discovered the deceased 11-year-old, identified only as A, at around 10:13 a.m. the previous day. The location was approximately 400 meters off the hiking trail, reportedly near a steep cliff.
Authorities presume that A lost his way after reaching the summit of Jubong Peak and suffered an accident. Although fences were installed around the hiking trail, observers suggest that A, given his small stature, may have left the trail through a blind spot.
A visited Daejeonsa, a Buddhist temple inside Juwangsan National Park, with his parents at around noon on the 10th of this month. After taking commemorative photos with his family, he reportedly said, "I'll just go up a little and come back," and walked from Giam Bridge toward Jubong Peak. A's mother told him to "come back in an hour," but when he did not return as time passed, she went out looking for him herself. She notified the national park office of the disappearance at around 4:10 p.m. the same day and called 119 at around 5:53 p.m.
On the first day of the search, a witness reported seeing A — who was wearing a jersey of the Samsung Lions baseball team — one-third of the way up the Jubong Peak hiking trail. Search authorities deployed extensive equipment and personnel, including helicopters and drones, but failed to locate A on both the first and second days of the search. The park's vast area of 106,114 square kilometers, along with steep hiking trails and cliffs, made the search difficult.
An official with the search authorities, after concluding the second day of the search, said, "We consider three days including the day of disappearance to be the golden time," and urged, "We must find him tomorrow." The search authorities ultimately found A after mobilizing three helicopters, six drones, 16 rescue dogs and 347 search personnel.
Kim Ki-chang, head of the disaster safety division at the Juwangsan National Park Office, who inspected the site, said, "It is not a location one can easily reach unless entering with a special purpose or intent," adding, "It is a deeply carved ravine between ridges." Accordingly, police are considering the possibility of a fall. However, authorities plan to investigate while keeping open various causes, including exhaustion and hypothermia.
A wave of mourning has also followed the accident. The Samsung Lions posted a tribute on the club's official social media the previous day, stating, "We express our deep sorrow and heartbreak at this sudden and tragic news," and added, "We offer our sincere condolences to the bereaved family who have lost their precious child."
Meanwhile, President Lee Jae-myung, in his opening remarks at a Cabinet meeting he chaired the previous morning before A was found, instructed, "As every minute and every second is urgent, please mobilize all capabilities necessary for the search," adding, "Ensuring that a missing child promptly returns to the family's embrace is an important task the state must carry out."
Upon being informed of A's death during the Cabinet meeting, Lee emphasized the need to prevent recurrence, saying, "Going forward, I hope we pay more attention so that such unfortunate accidents do not happen."
