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Student schedule upended after man's body discovered in schoolyard

Published: 21 May. 2025, 18:01

[JOONGANG PHOTO]

A man was found dead on the grounds of an elementary school in Cheongju, North Chungcheong, early Wednesday, prompting a temporary adjustment of the school's class schedule.

A man in his 60s was discovered deceased in front of a school building around 7:15 a.m., according to the police. The body was discovered by a staff member arriving at work, who immediately reported it to the authorities. Police were dispatched to the scene and removed the man's body within about an hour.

A suicide note was found at the scene, indicating the man had been experiencing personal distress, police said.

Based on the fact that the deceased had no connection to the school, left a suicide note and displayed no signs of foul play, the police believe he took his own life.

The building where the body was found is not on a route students typically use during their morning commute. Nevertheless, school officials took precautionary measures to ensure that no students witnessed the removal of the body. All students were temporarily moved to the school auditorium.

“A police team was on site conducting removal of the body, so we kept the students in the auditorium during first period and resumed regular classes from second period,” a school official said.

The man is known to have been a resident of Gyeonggi and police are investigating the exact cause of death.

The police and education authorities are also looking into how the man was able to enter school grounds. Authorities said they are considering new measures to improve campus security and prevent unauthorized access by outsiders.

If you or someone you know is feeling emotionally distressed or struggling with thoughts of suicide, Lifeline Korea can be contacted at 1588-9191 or the Crisis Counseling Center at 1577-0199. The Seoul Global Center offers English-language counseling. Contact 02-2075-4180 (+1) to arrange a session. Other international helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY HAN YOUNG-HYE [[email protected]]