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Bullying possibly involved in case of missing middle school student swept away in stream

Published: 17 Oct. 2025, 08:01

Rescue workers search for a missing person in Jungnang Stream in Howon-dong, Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi on Oct. 16. [YONHAP]

Search efforts to locate a missing middle school student swept away by the current in Jungnang Stream in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi entered their fourth day on Thursday, as police continue to investigate why the students entered the water in the first place.

According to authorities, three first-year middle school students visited the stepping stones along the stream on Monday afternoon when the incident occurred.

Two of the boys took off their shirts and entered the water but were quickly swept away by the current. One was rescued near the bridge, but the other remains missing.

Eyewitnesses told police that nearby adults warned the students not to enter the stream, but they did so anyway.

Police are investigating why the students entered the water in a location not typically known for recreational activity, suspecting there may be more to the incident.

This includes claims that the boys' behavior may have been influenced by school bullying.

Four days prior to the incident on Oct. 9, a report was filed alleging bullying at the same location: near the stepping stones in Jungnang Stream.

According to the report, an older student had allegedly gathered younger students to intimidate and discipline them. All three boys involved in Monday's incident were reportedly among the victims present at the time.

Coincidentally, the stream entry occurred just days later at nearly the same spot.

However, the older student was not present during Monday’s incident, and so far, no calls or messages indicating coercion have been found.

The student who was rescued reportedly told police they had entered the water to play around and made no mention of coercion.

“We are keeping all possibilities open, including a possible link to school bullying,” a police official said.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HYEON YE-SEUL [[email protected]]