A university student died after falling from a cliff shortly after being rejected by a woman he was romantically interested in. Junmo Jeong, 20, had been at a London art gallery with friends before suddenly leaving to buy a one-way train ticket from London St Pancras to Dover Priory, MyLondon reports.
A search ensued following his abrupt disappearance, with his mother issuing an appeal pleading for his safe return home. But the Coastguard spotted his body among rocks at the foot of the White Cliffs near St Margaret's Bay, near Dover, on March 3.
Inquest hears of rejection
The "incredibly talented" student had been studying fashion design technology menswear at the London College of Fashion, part of the University of the Arts London, an inquest at Oakwood House in Maidstone heard. He had been at the Lethaby Gallery in London on February 26 when he suddenly left between 7pm and 8pm without saying goodbye to the friends he was with.
Mr Jeong had developed feelings for a fellow university student, but they were not reciprocated, investigating officer DS Oliver Austin told coroner Katrina Hepburn. Meanwhile, his flatmate told police he had been rejected shortly before his disappearance.
"He explained that the love interest didn't reciprocate the same feelings as Junmo, and this was before he sadly went missing," DS Austin explained. "It was unusual for him to go without saying anything. Junmo did like to travel on his own, but he would usually tell someone where he was going. This time, he did not."
Journey to Dover
The officer also spoke to the woman, who confirmed she had suggested that she and Mr Jeong should stop communicating. However, their messages had been deleted, meaning police could not establish precisely when their final exchange took place. Mr Jeong subsequently bought a single ticket to Dover, arriving at Dover Priory railway station at about 11.50pm.
The inquest heard he had previously visited the town on a camping trip with friends on February 14 and particularly enjoyed the views from the clifftops. But this time he had no camping equipment, spare clothing or other belongings with him, while his bank cards and ID remained at his flat in London. CCTV showed him leaving the station alone and walking towards the White Cliffs, with camera coverage ending near Athol Terrace.
His concerned flatmate reported him missing to the Metropolitan Police the following day after being unable to contact him. Kent Police took over the investigation on March 1, with officers searching the clifftops and surrounding area. Mobile phone records showed Mr Jeong's device remained connected to the network until 1.59pm on February 28, but it was never recovered.
Body found and investigation
Shortly before midday on March 3, the Coastguard spotted his body among rocks at the foot of the cliffs. A crew member was lowered to the scene from the Coastguard helicopter and found his injuries appeared consistent with a fall of about 300ft from the clifftops above. He was pronounced dead at 12.06pm before being recovered by RNLI lifeboat crews. A post-mortem examination subsequently confirmed he had suffered multiple severe injuries consistent with a fall from height.
Officers also inspected the clifftop area where they believed Mr Jeong might have fallen, but were unable to approach the edge because of the danger. DS Austin said that, from about 10ft away, there were no obvious slip marks or signs that the cliff edge had crumbled. He acknowledged Mr Jeong could have fallen elsewhere along the cliffs before being carried by the sea to where he was found, although there was no concrete evidence to establish this.
Police found no evidence of suspicious circumstances or third-party involvement. However, DS Austin told the inquest he believed Mr Jeong may have travelled to the cliffs intending to take his own life. He based this theory on several factors, including the single train ticket, the absence of personal belongings and his rejection by the fellow student.
Family disputes theory
But Mr Jeong's family strongly disputed the suggestion, saying he regularly travelled alone and had been making plans for his future. His mother, Kim Sunhee, described her son as a creative and ambitious young man who had shown no signs of wanting to harm himself.
In a statement read to the court, she said: "Junmo was a young man of strong character, discipline and creativity. He was committed to his studies and took pride in his academic progress. He maintained regular contact with his family. His communication was consistent, rational and future-orientated. He had clear plans for his education and long-term career. He was not isolated, nor was he disengaged from life. On the contrary, he was actively building his future."
The family questioned whether Mr Jeong could have fallen accidentally and raised concerns about gaps in the investigation, including the lack of CCTV showing what happened after he reached the clifftops. After considering the evidence, Ms Hepburn accepted Mr Jeong had died from injuries sustained in a fall, but said it was impossible to establish what had caused it.
She explained: "He could have jumped. He could have fallen with intent. It could have been that it was dark and he was too close to the edge. He could have tripped and fallen. It could have been the ground that gave way underfoot. There could have been a loss of balance due to a medical issue."
Coroner's verdict
The coroner said there was insufficient evidence to conclude Mr Jeong had taken his own life, but equally could not establish that his death was accidental. She therefore recorded a narrative conclusion, confirming he had died from multiple injuries consistent with a fall from the cliffs.
She said: "It has not been possible from the available evidence to establish exactly how Junmo came to fall from the cliff edge or precisely when he fell, but he died of multiple injuries consistent with a fall." Ms Hepburn recorded March 3 as his official date of death, although she acknowledged he was likely to have died earlier.
In a statement read to the court, the university's dean of students Mark Crawley described Mr Jeong as an "incredibly talented designer with a real curiosity about the world". "His tutors have said he was hardworking, quiet and focused in class," he added. "They described him as warm, funny, very kind, often helping other students with their work."
