Foot measures 210–220 mm; authorities checking for long-absent students

The Southern Area Regional Recycling Center in Songdo-dong, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, where an object believed to be a human leg was discovered. [Yonhap]
The Southern Area Regional Recycling Center in Songdo-dong, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, where an object believed to be a human leg was discovered. [Yonhap]

Police have launched a special investigation unit after what is believed to be part of a human body was discovered at a recycling facility in Incheon.

According to police, a report came in at around 2:28 p.m. Wednesday that an object believed to be a human leg had been found at the Southern Area Regional Recycling Center in Songdo-dong, Yeonsu-gu.

A center employee identified only as A discovered the object at around 1:50 p.m. the same day while sorting recyclables. "The leg area was entirely wrapped in bandages," A told Yonhap News Agency. "When I unwrapped them, the shape of a foot appeared, so I called the police."

The Southern Area Regional Recycling Center processes recyclables collected from Yeonsu-gu and Jung-gu in Incheon, sorting materials such as glass bottles, cans and plastics on a conveyor belt.

DNA analysis confirmed the object is human tissue, and police have opened an investigation to determine whether a crime was committed. A 64-member special investigation unit has been formed under the command of Yeonsu Police Station chief Bae Seok-hwan, drawing personnel from the station's criminal investigation division and the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency's organized crime unit.

The severed limb runs from below the left knee to the heel, measuring more than 40 centimeters in length, with a foot size of 210 to 220 millimeters. Based on those measurements, investigators are keeping open the possibility that the victim is a young student or a woman, and are focusing their efforts on identifying the person.

Police are reviewing recent missing-persons reports and have sent official requests to schools in Incheon asking them to check for students who were absent Tuesday and Wednesday or have been absent for an extended period. Investigators are also canvassing apartments and commercial buildings in Yeonsu-gu and Jung-gu — the two districts whose recyclables are processed at the center — and are analyzing closed-circuit television footage from the area.

However, police have not yet been able to determine the victim's age or sex, as the severed limb may have shrunk and dried over time, making the foot appear smaller than it actually was. The National Forensic Service also conveyed a preliminary verbal opinion to police after an autopsy, saying it could not confirm the age or sex of the remains.

"The victim's identity has not been confirmed as of yet," a police official said. "We plan to continue the investigation while keeping all possibilities open."


balme@heraldcorp.com