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.
Missing college student found dead in lake
Police investigate the lake area where the body of a missing college student was found in southern Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap
By Jung Min-ho
Investigators at the scene in southern Seoul / Yonhap
By Jung Min-ho
The body of a college student has been found in Seokchon Lake, southern Seoul.
Songpa Police Station said Thursday that investigators are now looking into the death of the student, 19, surnamed Cho, after finding his body at the bottom of the lake about 12:10 p.m. Wednesday.
Police also found his bag containing a mobile phone and a laptop computer in the water. Data on the devices will be investigated.
The National Forensic Service will carry out an autopsy on the body soon to find the cause of death.
Cho, who was a Namyangju resident, went missing on Nov. 8 after drinking in southern Seoul with three friends. Police said they shared four bottles of soju.
After texting his family around midnight that he was on his way home, he took a taxi. But for an unknown reason, he got out near Jamsil Station and hailed another taxi by using the Kakao T mobile app, police said.
Because of miscommunication with the taxi driver, Cho did not take it. Surveillance camera footage shows he walked toward the lake while looking at his phone around 1:20 a.m. It is unclear why he went there.
Given he was still intoxicated, police suspect he slipped into the lake.