A search operation entered its second day on Monday for an 11-year-old boy who went missing while visiting a mountain park in South Korea with his family.
The boy disappeared on Sunday after visiting the Juwangsan National Park in North Gyeongsang Province.
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 reportedly hiking to the Jubong Peak, which rises to around 720–726m, and is known for its dramatic granite cliffs, rugged rock formations and densely forested valleys. The hiking trail from Daejeonsa temple to the summit stretches roughly 2–3km and typically takes an adult around two hours each way.
Authorities said the boy’s parents reported him missing at about 5.53pm on Sunday, prompting an immediate search operation involving police officers and firefighters. After rescuers failed to locate him overnight, the search resumed on Monday morning on a larger scale.
Around 100 rescue personnel, including firefighters, police officers and mountain rescue teams, were deployed along with a helicopter and additional search equipment.
Local media identified the child as a sixth-grade student from Daegu. He was reportedly wearing a Samsung Lions baseball uniform and is about 145cm tall.
“About a year ago, we hiked here as well, but he felt tired and had to come down before reaching the top,” his parents told the Asiae news website. “On the day he went missing, he said, ‘I’ll just go up a little and then come back.’”
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.
