Missing police officer found dead in Dokdo

A Korean police officer who went missing on the nation’s easternmost islets of Dokdo while on duty was found dead yesterday, police said.

The 30-year-old officer, identified only as Lee, was found around 10 a.m. at the bottom of a cliff, they said. He began his guard duty early Tuesday morning and later went missing.

He was presumed to have died from an accidental fall, according to the police. Authorities said they plan to conduct an autopsy to verify the cause of death.

Dokdo, which lies just 90 kilometers (55.9 miles) east of South Korea’s Ulleung Island in the East Sea, has frequently been the focus of international media attention due to Japan’s territorial claim on the rocky outcrops.

Since 1954, the South Korean government has stationed a small police contingent on Dokdo as a symbol of its ownership of the rocky islets.

Currently, about 50 police officers who belong to the Ulleung Island Security Force are stationed on Dokdo for security purposes. Only two civilians live there. Yonhap