Washed-up body of thin boy becomes rainy season mystery

Police officers inspect a riverside bank near Yeouido Han River Park in Seoul on July 9, 2021. The photo is not related to the story. [YONHAP]

The corpse of a very thin boy washed up in South Korean waters near the sea border with North Korea and police are looking for clues as to whether it came from the North.

A 110-centimeter-tall boy was found dead near Jeollyu port in the Han River Estuary on Wednesday. Police wonder whether he was washed over the border.

According to the Ilsan Western Police, the body of the child was discovered by a fisherman around 12 p.m.

The corpse didn't seem to have injuries but was extremely thin.

"The boy seems to be around the age of 10 and was only wearing a pair of worn-out, red shorts — no shirt," a police officer said.

The shorts had no brand and had a rubber band around the waistline, which would be unusual on a South Korean child.

To identify the corpse, the police asked the National Institute of Forensic Sciences to determine the manufacturer of the shorts.

Because of decomposition, fingerprints could not be taken.

The body was found only nine kilometers from the Military Demarcation Line, inter-Korean border.

"During monsoon season, household items and waste from North Korea often wash down to the Han River Estuary," said Shim Sim-sik, a fisherman from Haengju village, Goyang, northern Gyeonggi.

"Especially around noon, the tide comes in from the Yellow Sea towards the Han River," he added. "So from 9:41 a.m., which is high tide for the Ganghwa Bridge, it is possible that a body lost in North Korea washed up to the upper reaches of the Han River."

Recent torrential downpours add to the theory of a body washing down from North Korea.

According to a report by the North Korean Meteorological Authority, on June 29, it rained more than 300 millimeters in South Pyongan Province and Nampo and more than 200 millimeters in North Pyongan Province, North Hwanghae Province and Gangwon Province.

North Korea has opened up the Hwang River Dam gate twice.

With the Hwang Dam opening, waters around South Korea's Pilseung Dam rose 6.45 meters. It takes about four hours for water from the North to reach South Korea.

"When it rains heavily, it's common for North Korea's waste and even household items to float along the Imjin River to South Korea's shores," said Lee Seok-woo, a leader of a civic group, named as the Yeoncheon Imjin River Citizen Network. "Because the North opened up the Hwang River Dam twice, the water flow became even faster."

The fact that no reports of missing children were received in South Korea's areas such as Gimpo, Paju and Goyang reinforces the suspicion that it's a North Korean child.

"If it was the child of a nearby resident or traveler, it is almost guaranteed that they would file a missing report," said a police officer.

However, the police haven't ruled out the possibility of a missing South Korean child and are focusing on identifying the child and cause of death.

BY JEON ICK-JIN [kjdnational@joongang.co.kr]