The body of a young boy found last month in waters near Jumundo in Ganghwa County, Incheon, is believed to be a North Korean resident.
According to the Incheon Maritime Police Station on the 31st, an examination of the body found in waters near Jumundo by the National Forensic Service and others confirmed a parasite in the small intestine that is rarely found in Korea.
To identify the body, investigators checked domestic missing-person records but found no match. The Korea Coast Guard, combining the parasite analysis and the missing-person search, believes it is highly likely the deceased child was a North Korean resident.
Earlier, at about 12 p.m. on the 25th last month, a report came in to 112 that a body was floating in waters near Jumundo. The Korea Coast Guard, requested by police for a joint response, recovered the body and began working to confirm the identity.
When discovered, the body was in an advanced state of decomposition, was unclothed, and had no fingerprints, hindering identification. The height was about 110–120 cm, and the National Forensic Service estimated the deceased was a boy around age 6.
The Korea Coast Guard sees no indication so far that the case is related to a crime and plans to close it after necessary procedures.