Provided by Yonhap News TV
The body of a woman believed to be a North Korean resident was found near Gunnam Dam on the Imjin River in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, and the police have launched an investigation.
The Gyeonggi Yeoncheon Police Station was dispatched yesterday (23rd) at around 8:30 a.m. following receiving a report from a passing camper and found a woman’s body in a bush near the lower reaches of Gunnam Dam, Imjin River, the northernmost part of Yeoncheon-gun.
At the time of discovery, the body was already decomposed and it was difficult to estimate the exact age, and it is known that fingerprinting was impossible at all.
Police believe that the body may have been washed away from North Korea, as the body, believed to be an adult woman, had a badge with portraits of North Korean President Kim Il-sung and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il on the top.
A police official said, “To determine the exact cause of death, we plan to request an autopsy from the National Institute of Forensic Sciences.”
If the results of genetic testing with Koreans show that they are highly likely to be North Koreans, the relevant authorities will pursue a plan to hand over the bodies to North Korea through the Ministry of Unification.
Earlier, on the 16th, the body of an infant believed to be a North Korean resident was also found near the Imjingang Unification Bridge in Paju, and the police launched an investigation.