▲ Rescue authorities search for a boy who went missing at Juwangsan National Park, about 280 kilometers southeast of Seoul, in this photo provided by the Gyeongbuk Fire Service Headquarters on May 12, 2026. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

(2nd LD) missing boy-death

(2nd LD) Boy found dead after going missing in mountain park

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details throughout)

CHEONGSONG, South Korea, May 12 (Yonhap) -- Authorities on Tuesday discovered the body of a boy who had gone missing in a southeastern mountain park earlier this week.

The 11-year-old went missing Sunday after hiking alone at Juwangsan National Park, about 280 kilometers southeast of Seoul, after visiting a Buddhist temple at the park with his family.

Rescue authorities discovered the boy's body at about 10:25 a.m., about 100 meters from the mountain's peak, after deploying more than 350 personnel on the third day of the search around a hiking trail. The mountain has an elevation of 720.6 meters.

Officials suspect the boy may have suffered a fatal accident after losing his footing. They plan to conduct an investigation into the exact circumstances of his death.

Authorities were considering deploying a helicopter to transport the body, depending on the conditions at the scene.

The boy had set out on a hike to the mountain peak without a mobile phone from a midpoint where his parents waited. The parents reported their child missing at 5:53 p.m. Sunday as he did not return even after a considerable amount of time.

While authorities carried out an extensive search, mobilizing various equipment, including a helicopter, they faced difficulties due to the narrow and steep hiking trail to the peak, they said.

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