11-year-old found dead at national park likely died from fall, authoritie...

Emergency personnel search for a child who went missing in Mount Juwang National Park in North Gyeongsang on May 12. [YONHAP]

An 11-year-old boy, who was found dead after going missing in Mount Juwang National Park in North Gyeongsang, likely died from a fall, authorities said on Wednesday, citing preliminary forensic findings.

An initial examination of the boy’s body found signs consistent with “injuries caused by a fall,” according to the Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency and the Daegu District Prosecutors’ Office.

According to authorities, a decision on whether to conduct an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death will likely be made later in the day.

Police investigations also found that the boy had not been carrying a mobile phone on the day he went missing.

The sixth-grade elementary school student went missing on Sunday after he walked further ahead of his parents while the family was visiting Mount Juwang National Park.

His disappearance launched a large-scale search operation involving around 350 personnel from the police, fire authorities and the Korea National Park Service. Authorities also deployed helicopters, drones and search-and-rescue dogs.

The boy’s body was discovered at around 10:13 a.m. on Tuesday in a wooded area about 400 meters (1,312 feet) from a trail leading toward Juwangam Hermitage near the park’s main peak.

Police said they are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the boy’s death based on forensic findings and conditions at the scene.

A funeral altar for the boy is expected to be set up in Daegu, where his family lives.

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.