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

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.