Body Found in Palm Tree Forest Identified as Jang Mi-ran... Experts Warn Against Premature Conclusions on Cause of Death

[Anchor]

The body discovered at a palm tree farm the day before yesterday (the 24th) has been confirmed through an autopsy to be that of Jang Mi-ran. While police lean toward the possibility of an extreme choice, citing no signs of trauma, experts have pointed out that it is premature to definitively conclude the cause of death.

Reporting by Dong Eunyeong.

[Reporter]

Police autopsy results have confirmed that the body found the day before yesterday at a palm tree farm in Hallim-eup, Jeju, belongs to the missing person Jang Mi-ran.

With the body in an advanced state of decomposition and fingerprints already gone, dental examination results reportedly matched those of Jang.

The clothes Jang was wearing when she last went out, along with her mobile phone, were found nearby, and she was reportedly still wearing items such as a bracelet and a ring.

Given that the autopsy revealed no external trauma such as unusual fractures, and considering the position and posture of the body when found, police believe it is highly likely that Jang took her own life.

[Yoo Jae-sung / Acting Commissioner General of the Korean National Police Agency (The day before yesterday): From what I was reported by the head of the Jeju Provincial Police Agency, it is presumed to be a death by hanging. (Meaning there are no signs to suspect homicide?) Yes, not yet.]

While no clear evidence of homicide has been identified so far, experts emphasize that the cause of death should not be hastily concluded.

[Pyo Chang-won / Head of Pyo Chang-won Crime Science Institute: Unless we secure footage capturing the entire scene or have multiple eyewitnesses who accurately saw the situation, a discovered body has no choice but to be treated as an unattended death. You must not conclude the cause of death based solely on visible appearances.]

Police plan to send the collected DNA to the National Forensic Service to determine the exact time and precise cause of death. However, due to the severe degree of decomposition, projections suggest it may take several weeks for the results to come out.

Police are also conducting a forensic analysis on Jang's mobile phone secured at the scene to trace her movements before and after her disappearance.

(Video Editing: Choi Hye-ran)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.