Mystery deepens in case of woman found in Han River

The Han River Park in Yeouido, Seoul (Newsis)

"There is a person in the river, but they are not moving.”

When the report came in Saturday evening, it seemed to be suggesting a tragic accident or yet another case of suicide in the Han River.

But when police arrived on the scene around 8:24 p.m., about 17 minutes after receiving the report, the situation took a grim turn. Floating motionlessly near the Olympic Bridge in Seoul’s Gwangjin-gu was a young woman, with a knife lodged in her chest.

Despite initial circumstances that seemed to scream "murder," local police announced Thursday that their investigation has yet to uncover any evidence of foul play in her death. Findings so far suggest that she may have ended her own life.

According to local reports and police, this is what the investigation has found so far:

The victim was a 30-something resident of Icheon, Gyeonggi Province.

The initial autopsy result from the National Forensic Service showed that she died of “profuse bleeding from a chest wound.”

On the day she died, the victim left her residence at around 1:00 p.m., and reached a Han River park via public transit at around 7:30 p.m. She bought the knife early Saturday at a local store near her house. She was all by herself throughout her travel itinerary.

From her arrival at the park till the discovery of her body in the river, as reported by the first person to alert the police, there is a 37-mintue period that remains unexplained.

Surveillance footage shows who entered and exited the park -- no one except the victim -- but offers no hints at what she was up to or what happened to her.

Social media and online communities have been abuzz over the case.

“Is it even possible for a woman to stab her own chest, with enough force to penetrate it?” reads one of the comments on Naver, the nation’s largest portal.

“If you’re going to stab yourself to death, why come to Han River?” reads another.

“Police failing to secure evidence for homicide doesn't automatically make the death a case of suicide,” another Naver user claimed, warning others not to jump to conclusions.

Lawyer Son Soo-ho, while speaking on a radio program Monday, pointed out that although circumstances do seem to indicate no third-party involvement, there are elements in the case that make it difficult to believe that it was a case of suicide.

Son said that, while her body bore no defensive wounds, which are often present in the case of an attack, it also lacked hesitation marks. That suggests the deceased did not exhibit any hesitation while inflicting a stab wound to herself, which pierced through her back.

“Another point is her cause of death. It was the loss of blood, not drowning,” Son said, suggesting that if she fell into the water after the stabbing, she could have died by drowning, before she could bleed to death.

Considering the skepticism and numerous doubts surrounding the case, police confirmed on Thursday that, even though the chances of murder appear slim at this point, they are not ruling out any possibilities.

If you’re thinking about self-harm or suicide, contact the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s helpline at 109, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please request a translator for English-language services.

By No Kyung-min(minmin@heraldcorp.com)