Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.
Autopsies set for two Koreans who died in Cambodia
People pay their respects at a memorial altar for the two Konyang University students at the campus in Daejeon, Saturday. Yonhap
By Jung Min-ho
By Jung Min-ho
Korea will perform autopsies on two Korean students who died in Cambodia last week after doctors there failed to determine the cause of their deaths.
According to the Konyang University Monday, the National Forensic Service will carry out autopsies on the bodies when they are brought home from Phnom Penh.
The two women, who went to Cambodia to do voluntary work, were taken to a local hospital on Jan. 8 after suffering from acute stomach pains. After receiving treatment, they returned to their hotel the next day, only for the symptoms to return. One student died that night and the other died on Jan. 10.
Dr. Hwang Won-min at Konyang University Hospital told reporters Saturday that it was still unclear what caused their stomach pains.
“Based on the symptoms they showed, we believe it was an infectious disease,” Hwang said. “We carried out a blood culture test with samples to check if it was a typhoid epidemic, but the result came out negative … We need additional tests and time to determine the cause.”
The immediate cause of their deaths was heart failure, according to medical records from the Cambodian hospital.
The day before the students started feeling sick, they and two other students had pizza and beer at a restaurant near their hotel. But the two others had no health problems.
Sixteen students and three school officials (including two professors) went to Cambodia on Jan. 6 to help residents build facilities and equipment.