A large-scale search operation is underway in South Korea for an 11-year-old boy who went missing while hiking alone in a mountain park. The sixth-grade student disappeared on Sunday after visiting Juwangsan National Park in North Gyeongsang Province with his family.
Disappearance and Initial Response
According to the North Gyeongsang Fire Service Headquarters, the family had visited the local Daejeonsa temple before the boy reportedly set out alone towards the park’s main summit. He was hiking to Jubong Peak, which rises to approximately 720-726 metres and is known for its dramatic granite cliffs, rugged rock formations, and densely forested valleys. The trail from the temple to the summit is roughly 2-3 kilometres and typically takes an adult about two hours each way.
Authorities stated that the boy’s parents reported him missing at around 5:53 PM on Sunday, prompting an immediate search involving police and firefighters. After rescuers failed to locate him overnight, the search resumed on Monday morning on a larger scale.
Search Efforts
Approximately 100 rescue personnel, including firefighters, police officers, and mountain rescue teams, have been deployed, along with a helicopter and additional search equipment. The boy, identified by local media as a sixth-grade student from Daegu, was reportedly wearing a Samsung Lions baseball uniform and is about 145 cm tall.
His parents told the Asiae news website: “About a year ago, we hiked here as well, but he felt tired and had to come down before reaching the top. On the day he went missing, he said, ‘I’ll just go up a little and then come back.’”
Previous Incidents
In September last year, a hiker in his 60s went missing on Mount Seorak in Gangwon near Gongryong Ridge. He was discovered dead two days later.
